Shortly after my father’s 90th birthday, he asked me a question that forever changed my life: “Daughter, I’ve outlived most of my friends, my first-born son, and my devoted wife. I think it’s time that I moved somewhere else so that I am not alone. Can I move in with you?” Of course, my answer was an excited and exuberant “YES!” Ultimately, between the delays of the contractor engaged to renovate the lower level of my house and the necessary inspections that needed to be completed, the amount of time we spent as housemates was only seven months. During those seven months and immediately following his transition, I learned two things: the importance of supporting elders to manage and protect information related to online health records and the necessity of digital legacy planning.
In 2009 as part of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, the federal government created an incentive program that encouraged hospitals and providers to adopt electronic health records systems (EHRs.) Since that time, digital health records have become widely available to consumers. The COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the role that technology plays in providing care, especially regarding the correct identification of patients across the health care spectrum. Despite this, many people are still reticent to access their EHRs online, partly due to data security and privacy concerns.
To address some of these concerns, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) maintains a website (https://www.healthit.gov/) that provides information and offers a comprehensive guide on using digital tools to manage health information. Their resources explain how to use patient portals (secure online platforms linked to your doctor’s office that allow you to view your health information and communicate with providers) and personal health records (PHRs) effectively. Some of the suggestions apply globally in terms of basic security practices such as using a strong password of 12 characters or more, using a third-party password manager, using multi-factor authentication, checking privacy settings to control who can access your data, and picking security questions to which only you know the answer. Additional suggestions include not sharing your health information with any organization that is not covered by HIPAA, over social media websites, in an online message board, health-related online communities or posting anything online that you don’t want made public. Additionally, be informed regarding mobile apps you install on your phone. Research the mobile apps before you download and install any of them. Be sure to use known app websites or trusted sources and read the terms of service and the privacy notice of the mobile app to verify that the app will perform only the functions you approve.
Many of us have used technology for so long that we don’t realize the extent of the digital footprint we leave when we transition or how that may impact the ability of our loved ones to settle our estate. Fortunately, I was my father’s “tech” daughter, and I had a general idea about his online presence. Even so, digital legacy planning, which involves the management of our digital footprint including deciding how digital assets and online identities should be handled after we have transitioned, is an often-overlooked aspect of online identity management.
This topic becomes increasingly important as our lives become more digitized and as we increasingly live our lives online. Considering how digital assets and online identities are handled after one’s passing becomes crucial. This includes, among others, considerations about social media accounts, digital photographs, email accounts and correspondences, online banking, health, and other accounts. Setting up digital wills or designating digital executors can ensure that our digital footprint is managed according to our wishes, providing peace of mind and clarity for our loved ones.
If this sounds daunting, it certainly can be, so to guide you through the process of organizing and safeguarding your digital assets, here are some resources to help you learn more about digital legacy planning and to start a discussion about it with your family and friends. Through these sites you can discover information on social media templates, and guides on handling various digital platforms and devices at the end of life, insights and information for planning your online presence after death, managing online content posthumously, creating a comprehensive list of your digital assets, making decisions about them, appointing a digital executor, and more:
- Digital Legacy Association: https://digitallegacyassociation.org/
- The Digital Beyond: https://www.thedigitalbeyond.com/
- Death With Dignity: https://deathwithdignity.org/resources/life-file-digital-estate-planning/
- Cake: https://www.joincake.com/blog/category/digital-afterlife/
Courtesy, Karen Clay