Assoc Prof Bernadette Richards1
1SEC Future Health Technologies, Singapore
We live in a time of big data, nearly all of our daily interactions involve a form of data exchange. This is so whether we are entering a gym, shopping for food, dining out, following a map, using social media and, of course, accessing healthcare. Often the data that we share is benign when considered in isolation, the path that we have travelled, the restaurants we prefer, the frequency of exercise or the medication prescribed. However, once this data is collected together it is powerful and presents a detailed profile of every individual. This paper will consider the challenges of data collection and use in the context of healthcare. The focus will be on the need to thoughtfully engage with the rationale behind the collection and collation of data and I will ask the question: How can we support responsible use of data in the healthcare context and avoid the creation of ethical debt? The paper will engage with the need to develop health technology with not only an awareness of ethical (and legal) obligations but also with a conceptual maturity that fosters respect for the individual who will interact with the relevant technology, as well as broader social and policy imperatives.
Biography:
Bernadette Richards is currently working on Future Health Technologies Project at the Singapore ETH Centre exploring trustworthy data governance. She is an Adjunct Associate Professor at QUT and Adelaide and President of AABHL. She is a member of the NHMRC’s Australian Health Ethics Committee, the ERLC and Chaired the Mitochondrial Donation Expert Working Committee.