-
Nature Medicine Jan 2019Big data has become the ubiquitous watch word of medical innovation. The rapid development of machine-learning techniques and artificial intelligence in particular has... (Review)
Review
Big data has become the ubiquitous watch word of medical innovation. The rapid development of machine-learning techniques and artificial intelligence in particular has promised to revolutionize medical practice from the allocation of resources to the diagnosis of complex diseases. But with big data comes big risks and challenges, among them significant questions about patient privacy. Here, we outline the legal and ethical challenges big data brings to patient privacy. We discuss, among other topics, how best to conceive of health privacy; the importance of equity, consent, and patient governance in data collection; discrimination in data uses; and how to handle data breaches. We close by sketching possible ways forward for the regulatory system.
Topics: Big Data; Delivery of Health Care; Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act; Humans; Privacy; United States
PubMed: 30617331
DOI: 10.1038/s41591-018-0272-7 -
Frontiers in Surgery 2022The legal and ethical issues that confront society due to Artificial Intelligence (AI) include privacy and surveillance, bias or discrimination, and potentially the... (Review)
Review
The legal and ethical issues that confront society due to Artificial Intelligence (AI) include privacy and surveillance, bias or discrimination, and potentially the philosophical challenge is the role of human judgment. Concerns about newer digital technologies becoming a new source of inaccuracy and data breaches have arisen as a result of its use. Mistakes in the procedure or protocol in the field of healthcare can have devastating consequences for the patient who is the victim of the error. Because patients come into contact with physicians at moments in their lives when they are most vulnerable, it is crucial to remember this. Currently, there are no well-defined regulations in place to address the legal and ethical issues that may arise due to the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare settings. This review attempts to address these pertinent issues highlighting the need for algorithmic transparency, privacy, and protection of all the beneficiaries involved and cybersecurity of associated vulnerabilities.
PubMed: 35360424
DOI: 10.3389/fsurg.2022.862322 -
Cureus Oct 2022The use of electronic health records (EHRs) has grown significantly in the past decade. Health information databases contain sensitive patient information, including... (Review)
Review
The use of electronic health records (EHRs) has grown significantly in the past decade. Health information databases contain sensitive patient information, including their names and addresses, tests, diagnoses, treatment, and medical history. This information should be secured and protected from manipulation and fraudulent use by third parties. EHRs are expected to increase efficiency in healthcare delivery, improve healthcare quality, and relieve increased financial pressure. Despite these expected benefits, EHRs are potentially vulnerable to security concerns that may affect the confidentiality and privacy of patients' personal information. This paper presents a literature review of EHRs, factors that support the security and safety of health records, potential security breaches, and solutions to inherent security concerns. The study collects data through a systematic review of past studies that have addressed the topic of EHRs and security issues, and other relevant publications on EHR systems, and procedures that help safeguard health records databases. A total of 30 sources are analyzed for all pertinent information regarding security concerns of health records databases. These sources were obtained through an internet search on credible databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed, and CINAHL databases. The results of the current study reveal the perceived vulnerability of EHRs to security concerns, common security issues, the nature of these common security concerns, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act rules, provider responsibilities, and recommendations for reducing EHR security risks. This paper also reveals effective strategies such as privacy-protection awareness and staff training to enhance the security of health records databases.
PubMed: 36397924
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.30168 -
Journal of Medical Internet Research Aug 2023ChatGPT has promising applications in health care, but potential ethical issues need to be addressed proactively to prevent harm. ChatGPT presents potential ethical...
ChatGPT has promising applications in health care, but potential ethical issues need to be addressed proactively to prevent harm. ChatGPT presents potential ethical challenges from legal, humanistic, algorithmic, and informational perspectives. Legal ethics concerns arise from the unclear allocation of responsibility when patient harm occurs and from potential breaches of patient privacy due to data collection. Clear rules and legal boundaries are needed to properly allocate liability and protect users. Humanistic ethics concerns arise from the potential disruption of the physician-patient relationship, humanistic care, and issues of integrity. Overreliance on artificial intelligence (AI) can undermine compassion and erode trust. Transparency and disclosure of AI-generated content are critical to maintaining integrity. Algorithmic ethics raise concerns about algorithmic bias, responsibility, transparency and explainability, as well as validation and evaluation. Information ethics include data bias, validity, and effectiveness. Biased training data can lead to biased output, and overreliance on ChatGPT can reduce patient adherence and encourage self-diagnosis. Ensuring the accuracy, reliability, and validity of ChatGPT-generated content requires rigorous validation and ongoing updates based on clinical practice. To navigate the evolving ethical landscape of AI, AI in health care must adhere to the strictest ethical standards. Through comprehensive ethical guidelines, health care professionals can ensure the responsible use of ChatGPT, promote accurate and reliable information exchange, protect patient privacy, and empower patients to make informed decisions about their health care.
Topics: Humans; Artificial Intelligence; Reproducibility of Results; Data Collection; Disclosure; Patient Compliance
PubMed: 37566454
DOI: 10.2196/48009 -
Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical... Oct 2019Anaphylaxis is a systemic allergic reaction and without the appropriate treatment can progress fast and may be fatal. Information about allergy and immunology topics... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Anaphylaxis is a systemic allergic reaction and without the appropriate treatment can progress fast and may be fatal. Information about allergy and immunology topics including anaphylaxis can be easily found online and are widely searched by patients as well as medical personnel. Social media and search engines not only bring a number of benefits to users but also carry risks for breaches of confidentiality and privacy, unprofessional behaviour, malpractice and litigation. Social media use by medical healthcare workers has liability risks and can result in malpractice.
RECENT FINDINGS
We used PubMed with the terms anaphylaxis; social network; mobile apps that revealed a very small number of publications addressing the use of these platforms and anaphylaxis. Google Trends and KWFinder were used to analyse the relative search interest and absolute search volumes on 'anaphylaxis'.
SUMMARY
Multiple sources exist on the Internet for health-related searches for both healthcare providers and patients. We analysed different websites, mobile apps, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. To avoid any posting of patient identifiers, it is imperative to be aware of the 18 HIPAA identifiers. We list websites with accurate information about anaphylaxis for the use of both patients and healthcare professionals for purposes of patient education. Further research on health information-seeking behaviour is clearly needed.
Topics: Anaphylaxis; Animals; Confidentiality; Health Personnel; Humans; Hypersensitivity; Information Dissemination; Internet; Mobile Applications; Patient Education as Topic; Social Media; Social Networking
PubMed: 31369414
DOI: 10.1097/ACI.0000000000000575 -
BMC Medical Ethics Feb 2020Sharing de-identified individual-level health research data is widely promoted and has many potential benefits. However there are also some potential harms, such as...
BACKGROUND
Sharing de-identified individual-level health research data is widely promoted and has many potential benefits. However there are also some potential harms, such as misuse of data and breach of participant confidentiality. One way to promote the benefits of sharing while ameliorating its potential harms is through the adoption of a managed access approach where data requests are channeled through a Data Access Committee (DAC), rather than making data openly available without restrictions. A DAC, whether a formal or informal group of individuals, has the responsibility of reviewing and assessing data access requests. Many individual groups, consortiums, institutional and independent DACs have been established but there is currently no widely accepted framework for their organization and function.
MAIN TEXT
We propose that DACs, should have the role of both promotion of data sharing and protection of data subjects, their communities, data producers, their institutions and the scientific enterprise. We suggest that data access should be granted by DACs as long as the data reuse has potential social value and provided there is low risk of foreseeable harms. To promote data sharing and to motivate data producers, DACs should encourage secondary uses that are consistent with the interests of data producers and their own institutions. Given the suggested roles of DACs, there should be transparent, simple and clear application procedures for data access. The approach to review of applications should be proportionate to the potential risks involved. DACs should be established within institutional and legal frameworks with clear lines of accountability, terms of reference and membership. We suggest that DACs should not be modelled after research ethics committees (RECs) because their functions and goals of review are different from those of RECs. DAC reviews should be guided by the principles of public health ethics instead of research ethics.
CONCLUSIONS
In this paper we have suggested a framework under which DACs should operate, how they should be organised, and how to constitute them.
Topics: Access to Information; Confidentiality; Ethics Committees, Research; Ethics, Research; Humans; Information Dissemination; Social Responsibility
PubMed: 32013947
DOI: 10.1186/s12910-020-0453-z -
Sante Publique (Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy,... 2020Pregnant women are heavy users of Internet and this has an impact on their medical follow-up. The purpose of this study is to highlight the ethical issues related to the...
INTRODUCTION
Pregnant women are heavy users of Internet and this has an impact on their medical follow-up. The purpose of this study is to highlight the ethical issues related to the use of the Internet by women in their medical care.
METHODE
Through a systematic literature review conducted on PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, CINAHL and Embase between June and July 2019, 10 670 results were obtained, and 79 articles were included in the post-selection study. A thematic analysis was conducted on these articles.
RESULTS
More than 90% of pregnant women use Internet, particularly to find medical information and social support, mainly on pregnancy and childbirth. This research allows them more equitable access to knowledge and develops their empowerment, which modifies the relationship between caregiver and patient, through the acquisition of greater autonomy for women and the development of experiential knowledge. This access offers a central and active role to pregnant women in their medical care. However, many authors also agree on the possible abuses of this use: misinformation, disproportionate information and the presence of judgment that undermine empowerment, but also digital divide and inequity in understanding information, stigmatization of women, and risks of privacy breaches on data acquired online.
CONCLUSION
In order to provide pregnant women with the central and active place they seek, the authors recommend involving caregivers in the referral to reliable sites, encouraging them to develop online content, and educating pregnant women in the search for health information on Internet.
PubMed: 35724210
DOI: 10.3917/spub.202.0171 -
Journal of Bioethical Inquiry Jun 2023The recently passed Privacy Legislation Amendment (Enforcement and Other Measures) Act 2022 (Cth) introduced important changes to the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth)... (Review)
Review
The recently passed Privacy Legislation Amendment (Enforcement and Other Measures) Act 2022 (Cth) introduced important changes to the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) which increase penalties for serious and repeated interferences with privacy and strengthen the investigative and enforcement powers of the Information Commissioner. The amendments were made subsequent to a number of high profile data breaches and represent the first set of changes to the Privacy Act following the review of the Act commenced by the Attorney-General in October 2020. The submissions made to the review emphasized the need for more effective enforcement mechanisms to increase individuals' control over their personal information and as a form of deterrence. This article reviews the recent amendments to the Privacy Act and explains their effect. It comments upon the relevance of the amendments for health and medical data and other data collected in the context of healthcare, and refers to the Attorney-General's Department's review of the Privacy Act regarding other proposals relating to enforcement which have not as yet been put into effect in legislation.
Topics: Humans; Privacy; Australia; Personally Identifiable Information; Confidentiality
PubMed: 37432509
DOI: 10.1007/s11673-023-10249-4 -
Studies in Health Technology and... May 2022Synthetic data has been more and more used in the last few years. While its applications are various, measuring its utility and privacy is seldom an easy task. Since...
Synthetic data has been more and more used in the last few years. While its applications are various, measuring its utility and privacy is seldom an easy task. Since there are different methods of evaluating these issues, which are dependent on data types, use cases and purpose, a generic method for evaluating utility and privacy does not exist at the moment. So, we introduced a compilation of the most recent methods for evaluating privacy and utility into a single executable in order to create a report of the similarities and potential privacy breaches between two datasets, whether it is related to synthetic or not. We catalogued 24 different methods, from qualitative to quantitative, column-wise or table-wise evaluations. We hope this resource can help scientists and industries get a better grasp of the synthetic data they have and produce more easily and a better basis to create a new, more broad method for evaluating dataset similarities.
Topics: Organizations; Privacy
PubMed: 35612009
DOI: 10.3233/SHTI220389