If history is to repeat itself, medical patients could be in for something far worse than waking to find their bank accounts dry.

What’s interesting about the FDA’s “draft guidance document” is that it’s open for public comments. The FDA wants manufacturers and the general public to read the draft and provide feedback on its details, which is a step in the right direction. But is this truly effective? How many people will actually spend the time reading through the FDA’s lengthy, dense documentation to pick out the information relevant to them? And better yet, how many people will understand that information with enough clarity to articulate thoughtful feedback?

In the end, this FDA document means very little to the general population that relies upon the accessibility of mobile software to achieve day-to-day tasks. In the end, the draft guidance document will become final and patients will be in the dark about how their information is transferred and about the laws that govern that transferal. Patients that will use these medical mobile apps in the future will probably gloss through that dreaded “terms of use” section, where FDA regulations trickle down through commercial filters. Soon, medical information will be one step closer to the prying hands and eyes of fraudulent hackers and digital pirates looking for gold.

This is bad news for a global society that has essentially plugged itself into a modern mobile matrix. Lots of people wouldn’t think twice about installing medical apps on their iPhone or tablet, and lots of people would even find these apps terribly convenient. Medical information will begin to travel through new online conduits. Doctors’ offices and, probably, the FDA will ensure you that your information is safe and protected—but it’s not a guarantee they can uphold with any surety. There will always be an ingenious hacker who discovers a new way to penetrate the security that keeps that information safe. And the day when a medical mobile app’s software fails or is hacked into will be a sad day indeed. This won’t be your social security number or your credit card digits displayed all over the Internet.

This will be your personal health records. This will arguably be your most private information, the details that tons of regulatory agencies work so hard to keep under wraps. There are still an absurd number of people who today fall prey to online scams, but the severity of the information released in these scams is going to take a sharp turn for the worse with the proliferation of medical mobile applications.

Before you rely on technology to make your life more convenient, make sure you completely understand the implications of using apps that share sensitive data. Read the FDA’s draft guidance document and, if you can, provide your feedback. Regulatory agencies work hard to keep this information safe for a reason—never lose sight of that.

Due to increased fear of terrorist acts aboard airplanes, many airports have begun implementing full body scanners into their security system. These scanners have the ability to view what is essentially the naked body of a person, without the hassle of removing their clothes, and is supposed to detect any firearms or illegal substances contained on that individual. Some of these machines use a technology called “backscatter X-ray.” Backscatter machines collect information based on the X-rays an object or subject emits to produce images rather than traditional X-ray machines, which would send X-rays into the subject to develop an image. Critics of this technology claim that it interferes with the privacy of the subjects, while proponents claim that the process in necessary for the safety of airline passengers.

Within the medical field, researchers are working on developing an electronic chip that focuses on collecting the most useful information possible when developing X-ray images. The technology will not only increase the quality of X-ray images, it will also decrease the dosage of the X-rays, which would be useful for patients requiring more than one X-ray scan. The chip, which may be compared to light detection chips in digital cameras, also has the ability to photograph the motion of objects, making it possible to collect a video stream of information. With the increased quality and capabilities of X-ray imaging, doctors will be able to better diagnose any medical problems that may be difficult to fully grasp with current technology.

Quantum physicists have even started using X-ray technology to examine atomic and subatomic particles. As the particles being observed get smaller, they must increase the rate at which they emit X-rays, as smaller particles are less observable because of the space in which they have to move. Scientists have started sending out X-rays in durations that can only be measured in femtoseconds (one quadrillionth of a second), but wish to increase the rate to be measured in the much smaller scale of attoseconds (one billionth of one billionth of a second). This increase in X-ray pulse rate will allow scientists to get a much clearer view of what exactly happens on a subatomic level, which could shed new light into the origins of our universe or at least give a clearer view of the behavior of subatomic particles.

As researchers gain more knowledge of the seemingly endless benefits to the use of energy waves, including X-rays, the more these waves will progress and become more deeply implemented into our society. They can help us observe the inner workings of the very smallest comprehendible particles, as well as allow us to detect previously invisible conditions and cancers within the medical field. This would allow doctors to diagnose ailments more effectively than ever. The understanding and use of X-rays, as well as all energy waves, is closely connected to the continuing prosperity and evolution of our species.

Onika says, “I love my job! The long hours are trying I will admit, but I do enjoy working in an environment where no two days are alike. Plus I get to meet new people and the staff is like family.”

She retells a typical day of her life as an X-ray technician:

5:00 p.m. Onika starts a 13-hour shift to fill in for another tech. X-rays are taken whenever needed, without consideration for the time of day. At hospitals, techs regularly must work any shift of the day until reaching seniority.

5:05 p.m. Stop by the radiology desk to check the schedule. Onika has training on other diagnostic imaging equipment so she does not spend her entire day in one room working one machine.

5:25 p.m. Calibrate the X-ray machine and review paperwork for a scan of a foreign object lodged in an extremity before bringing the patient in.

5:45 p.m. Perform additional X-rays per the schedule.

7:45 p.m. Meet with physician and radiologist in the interventional medicine room to map major arteries in a heart patient.

9:30 p.m. Go out for lunch with co-workers.

10:00 p.m. Return to floor for an unscheduled, emergency X-ray on two car accident victims. Many X-rays that she performs come from the day’s schedule but several more often arise unexpectedly. An X-ray tech has to be ready to roll with the surprises of the job.

12:45 a.m. Receive an emergency barium enema order. When called upon, X-ray techs assist in removing blockage in the bowels, a procedure that falls into the less-than-pleasant category of the job. At the end of the routine, the X-ray tech cleans up the mess.

2:00 a.m. Sit down to write reports of all of the patients and X-rays taken since her shift started. Technicians work under radiologists but also maintain records and offer opinion based on radiographs taken of the patient’s condition. Onika’s job is just as important as the rest of the patient’s team.

3:00 a.m. Rest on a break.

4:00 a.m. Go into the x-ray room to check and maintain machines. Before any patient comes in for an X-ray, imaging equipment has to be clean, set up properly, and ready to go, another less-than-alluring but necessary part of Onika’s job.

5:30 a.m. Respond to a call from the geriatric floor taking with her the facility’s mobile X-ray machine. Sometimes patients cannot come to the X-ray room for a number of reasons but they still need internal diagnostic imaging.

6:00 a.m. Go to the ultrasound room to set up imaging equipment to check for changes in a high-risk pregnancy in the 3rd trimester.

7:00 a.m. Return to the X-ray room to work out the day schedule.

7:45 a.m. Meet with the radiologist and oncoming tech to discuss reports.

8:00 a.m. Drive home to rest before the next shift (during the day this time) in 48 hours.