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Evaluating User Perceptions of Privacy Protection in Smart Healthcare Services

Authors:
Huan Guo
Elias Seid
Yuhong Li
Fredrik Blix

Keywords: Privacy protection measures; privacy-preserving techniques; smart healthcare; users’ perception.

Abstract:
As smart healthcare services rapidly evolve, ensuring user privacy has become a critical concern. While prior research has focused extensively on technical solutions, the user perspective on privacy protection remains underexplored. This study addresses that gap by examining how users perceive both technical and organizational privacy protection measures across four smart healthcare service types: wearable devices, mobile health apps, telehealth platforms, and medicine delivery systems. Through qualitative survey, the study uncovers a duality in user perceptions. Positive perceptions relate to multi-layer technical safeguards, regulatory oversight (e.g., General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and proactive provider practices, such as transparent privacy policies and breach responses. On the other hand, negative perceptions center on lack of transparency, limited user control, forced consent to privacy terms, and both cognitive and operational barriers to engaging with privacy features. These findings reveal a critical imbalance in user-provider power dynamics and call for user-centric privacy strategies that balance protection with usability. The study contributes to theoretical advancements in privacy calculus, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) by refining constructs, such as perceived control, facilitating conditions, and transparency. Practical recommendations are offered to guide more inclusive, adaptable, and empowering privacy solutions in smart healthcare contexts.

Pages: 132 to 138

Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2025

Publication date: October 26, 2025

Published in: conference

ISSN: 2162-2116

ISBN: 978-1-68558-306-4

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Dates: from October 26, 2025 to October 30, 2025