I do online check in for my medical appointments. Some of my physicians use the software provided by the company Phreesia. My eyes tend to gloss over while completing the process but I have noticed that for each check in Phreesia includes a consent form asking you for permission to use your health information for marketing.
From the form:
“I authorize my healthcare provider to release to Phreesia my health information entered in the forms I completed on Phreesia, and that my provider has gathered and included in my medical, insurance or appointment records, so that Phreesia can provide me with personalized health-related materials. The health-related materials may include information, surveys and advertisements related to health conditions, treatments, therapies, health insurance plans and details about patient assistance programs. The materials may be sponsored by a pharmaceutical manufacturer, a health insurance provider or another healthcare entity. Phreesia may receive a payment for making such materials available to me, but the sponsors of the materials will not receive my health information.”