Amazon wants to buy primary healthcare provider One Medical with the goal of making healthcare more convenient.
The possible multi-billion dollar merger between tech and healthcare is making some Bay Area patients nervous about their privacy. The deal sparked a protest outside the One Medical headquarters in San Francisco.
Demonstrators said Amazon's planned $4 billion buyout will put healthcare data from nearly a million patients into the hands of the tech giant that has not been clear what it might do with that data.
"Data flows pretty freely between different parts of Amazon, so they're concerned about their data being used for other purposes than just their healthcare," said Irina Raicu, Markkula Center's director of internet ethics.
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Some suggest healthcare is in desperate need of disruption, which is why Silicon Valley venture capitalists often focus their investments in the healthcare industry.
Experts said an Amazon healthcare option will come with some growing pains.
"But also shows a real commitment of a large company that's not squarely in the healthcare space whose bread and butter has been in retail and technology that is committing to healthcare and tech-enabled services,"
The mix of healthcare and tech is also the goal of healthcare startup Summer Health.
"We believe that every American should have a phone number in their pocket they can send a message to, and receive medical care within 15 minutes," Summer Health CEO Ellen Dasilva said.
The company plans to use local venture capital funding to blend technology and what patients tell them they want - more convenience.
The concept works well when that communication is strictly between patient and provider. The concern with big tech companies like Amazon is their habit of sharing user data with advertisers.
