Facebook admits it discussed sharing user data for medical research project

Facebook was in discussions with major medical institutions about sharing user and patient data for a research project. The proposed plan included using a process to match data for individuals in both sets, which would be anonymized, to research how such information sharing could improve individual patient care. These discussions, which included the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and Stanford University School of Medicine, were put on hold. Two people who heard Facebook’s pitch and one person familiar with it told CNBC that the proposed project would mesh data from health systems (such as diagnoses and prescribed medications) with data from Facebook (such as age, friends and likes). The idea would be to match what is known about a patient’s lifestyle with their medical needs to customize care.