Health and technology: points of attention for 2021

“Health” was a constant in the votes for 2021. Thinking about the technological interfaces and the problems of their use in the health field is one of the points of attention for this year’s developments.

Health to give and sell*

* A verse from a famous New Year’s Eve song in Brazil

The use of technologies that apply the internet in the health field has been boosted by the covid-19 pandemic. Despite a certain enthusiasm with which applications, devices, and other systems have been circulating, there are still sensitive issues regarding the use of these – so-called – solutions. One of them is the clear inequality of access and appropriation of technologies for health in society. As in so many other fields, social, economic, and digital barriers are also present here and are felt, far beyond technological proposals.

Another point to consider is that the application of technologies to the health field is also marketed. And that does not exclude those free technologies, but that receive other forms of consideration – through the processing of personal data, for example. In this regard, the “sale” of health, in its physical and mental aspects, implies issues of privacy and protection of personal data, information security, and discrimination.

The sensitivity of health-related data

It never hurts to remember: personal health data is sensitive. Although the sensitivity of personal data – which identifies or can identify a natural person – is understood in a certain context, the protection of aspects of our health must be even higher. There are higher risks of discrimination and other losses in the treatment of personal health data, including with regard to access to treatment for illnesses or the contracting of health or life insurance. The massive surveillance of health data falls on our most intimate aspects and that we carry literally in DNA for life.

The use of health data in algorithmic decision-making can have serious consequences, such as prioritizing white people over other ethnic-racial groups. Thus, the treatment of health-related data, in addition to not being able to take the risk of trivialization, requires, from conception to employment, systemic and effective, as well as anti-racist, commitments.

The future requires attention

Initiatives involving technology and health do not necessarily harm it. Some examples are presented in the report “Good intentions, bad inventions”, which addresses myths and lists evidence on how these two fields can go together. Therefore, different sectors must assume their responsibilities and prevent technological solutions from putting the health of users of these technologies at risk, even if the intention is different.

A difficult year like 2020, which opened up different concerns, drew attention to the way we view health. This needs to accompany the debates on the implementation, expansion, and capillarization of tools aimed at this aspect of the lives of internet users, its applications, and services. The discussion about the scope and effects of these initiatives needs to mature and consider, in an integrated way, the risks to privacy and discrimination arising from their employment, so that they can effectively do good to our health and the future, which has already started.

The views and opinions expressed in this blogpost are those of the author. 
Illustration by Freepik Stories.