Consumers Union Senior Attorney Mark Savage says it’s a good thing to get people more engaged in their health, but he says the new technology carries potential risks.

"You have a situation where a patient is voluntarily disclosing information, which means there is no privacy protection, generally," Savage says.  "They may not know if the information is being kept and might be used weeks or years after."

Solohealth’s Kendig says the firm is not considered a covered entity under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, meaning it is not required to meet the law’s privacy standards.  If it shares personal health information with insurers or medical providers, then it would need to meet those standards.

All information, except the email addresses, is aggregated and shared with SoloHealth sponsors without personal identifiers, Foster says. Those who leave their email address can track their test results over time and may be sent more information, including newsletters targeted to specific health conditions.

Consumer Khader did not mention concerns about how his information might be stored and used in the future.  But he did have one suggestion. Turn the machines so the screen cannot be seen by other customers.

"I would like a little more privacy," he says.