Exploring the ethical issues of patients' access to their data -v1-
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Health on the move: Exploring the social ethical and political underpinnings of portable devices for healthcare and lifestyle
IRAS ID
169788
Contact name
Federica Lucivero
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 0 days
Research summary
Literature on telemedicine has shown that the relocation of healthcare outside the clinic raises ethical issues that warrant attention: these include the redistribution of roles and responsibilities; the blurring of established moral categories and distinctions; and value conflicts among stakeholders. What happens when health and care tools become portable, well beyond the house walls? To address this question, this study focuses on a specific instance of portable healthcare mediated by digital technologies: patients' access to their electronic health records though desktop software or mobile apps. This study aims at exploring the social and ethical issues surrounding patients' online access to their health records. Such exploration is conducted through qualitative methods (non-participant observation, focus groups and interviews) with patients clinical professionals of primary care practices.
REC name
South Central - Berkshire B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/SC/0069
Date of REC Opinion
10 Feb 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion