Assessing the impacts of health-monitoring technologies
Developments in the integration of information technology (IT) and medical engineering systems offer a host of benefits, but also raise unique questions related to ethics, law and psychosocial impact. With a focus on societal embedding and implementation of new technologies in health care, the PHM-ETHICS project undertook interdisciplinary research to offer insights into such issues. In the first phase of the project, team members developed a framework for the assessment of applications in personalised health monitoring (PHM). The full methodology includes a dependencies map, taxonomy, a psychosocial assessment module, an ethical assessment module and a legal framework. During the second project phase, PHM-ETHICS worked to develop and test an interdisciplinary assessment methodology for PHM technologies, in terms of psychosocial and ethical implications. A full analysis of the present legal context of PHM was also conducted. The third project phase entailed the exploitation of knowledge and research products, particularly as regards policymaking and the implementation of technological innovations. PHM-ETHICS succeeded in developing a methodology that can be used modularly to assess the features and impact of PHM technologies. Additional work will be useful in establishing the full potential of the concept in use with upcoming PHM technologies and applications. More details are available on the project website(opens in new window) . Numerous publications in scientific journals and books have informed relevant audiences. PHM-ETHICS also presented their work at various conferences and workshops. The project’s impact will increase with growing practicability of its outcome, as the results of initial analyses are condensed into more and more practically relevant tools. Moreover, research tools and the methodology developed by the project could potentially be applicable for other technologies.
