McMaster HealthTech

Isha Patel – McMaster University

Healthcare technologies have become increasingly common, shaping the world of modern medicine. These technologies encompass diagnostic devices, AI systems, online health records, among other facets.¹ As we transition to a healthcare system that is increasingly reliant on technologies, we tend to focus on the benefits, such as enabling medical imaging, improving patient diagnoses and recovery, and advancing health research.² However, it is imperative to consider the privacy concerns and ethical consequences healthcare technologies may lead to. 

With the ability to digitize patient information and store identifiers online, there are challenges associated with the privacy and security of this information.¹ A major concern becomes the violation of patient autonomy, which means the patients, rather than physicians and other healthcare personnel, can choose what happens with their data and information.³ Any access to electronic records without patient consent is a breach of patient confidentiality.¹ Patients may remain unaware of what their data is being used for, presenting a significant security concern.¹ Other security concerns are raised when the possibility of online hacking is considered, where individuals can gain access to private records, programmed machinery, and device commands.¹ The ability of healthcare technologies to store data for extended periods of time introduces security breaches and data misuse.⁴

Moreover, healthcare technologies that enable digital patient tracking and records create an avenue for national institutions and governments to access this information easily.¹ How can we ensure that technologies are fair in collecting and recording data from all patients? Digital technologies can present opportunities for marginalized groups to be disproportionately represented, creating ethical dilemmas.⁴ When corporations access digitized information for annual surveys or analyses, patients remain unaware of whether their data is being used significantly more than other patients or groups.^1,4 As a result, certain healthcare biases and false narratives about ethnic groups may be perpetuated, creating misrepresentation and misconstrued healthcare patterns. 

Similarly, it has been revealed that healthcare technologies sell patient data to insurance and pharmaceutical companies.^2,3 Transferring and selling patient data is a massive violation of privacy and presents ethical dilemmas over what information is being sent without the patients’ consent.² When these privileged records are accessed by multiple individuals rather than designated company representatives, the privacy and integrity of the material are further violated.³ We must ask if these multiple representatives are accurately inputting and updating the data or if they are misrepresenting patient statistics.³ This issue is exacerbated when insurance and pharmaceutical companies use patient data for their benefit and gain through marketing and false advertisement rather than accurately depicting the facts.²

As our healthcare systems invest in digitalized technologies and systems, it is crucial to remain aware of the numerous ethical, privacy, and security concerns that accompany healthcare technologies. Safety measures including, firewall and detection software and implementing strict policies about patient data, can effectively reduce the negative concerns of healthcare technologies.^3,5 In turn, patients will feel comfortable providing healthcare workers with their personal data and using novel technologies.

Works Cited

1. Thimbleby H. Technology and the Future of Healthcare. J Public Health Res [Internet]. 2013 Dec 12 [cited 2023 Dec 14];2(3):jphr.2013.e28. Available from: /pmc/articles/PMC4147743/.

2. Farhud DD, Zokaei S. Ethical Issues of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Healthcare. Iran J Public Health [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2023 Dec 14];50(11):i. Available from: /pmc/articles/PMC8826344/.

3. Ozair FF, Jamshed N, Sharma A, Aggarwal P. Ethical issues in electronic health records: A general overview. Perspect Clin Res [Internet]. 2015 [cited 2023 Dec 14];6(2):73. Available from: /pmc/articles/PMC4394583/.

4. Grande D, Luna Marti X, Feuerstein-Simon R, Merchant RM, Asch DA, Lewson A, et al. Health Policy and Privacy Challenges Associated With Digital Technology. JAMA Netw Open [Internet]. 2020 Jul 1 [cited 2023 Dec 14];3(7):e208285–e208285. Available from: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2768091.

5. McGraw D, Mandl KD. Privacy protections to encourage use of health-relevant digital data in a learning health system. npj Digital Medicine 2021 4:1 [Internet]. 2021 Jan 4 [cited 2023 Dec 14];4(1):1–11. Available from: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-020-00362-8.