The National Pilot Committee for Digital Ethics (CNPEN) published this week a third watch bulletin as part of its work to monitor the ethical issues related to the use of digital technology in the context of a health crisis. This new report focuses on the ethical issues related to digital tools in telemedicine and telecare in the context of COVID-19 and highlights existing ethical tensions and seventeen points of vigilance to be taken into account.
Download the newsletter HERE.
The use of telemedicine and telecare increased dramatically during the containment period of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. While this led to a significant increase in the demand for telemedicine and, in particular, the use of teleconsultation, the increase was mainly possible because the health system was prepared, digital tools for exchanging and sharing information were available and Governments took measures to exempt the use of telemedicine to facilitate continuity of care.
In this newsletter, CNPEN looks at how this practice will evolve in the aftermath of this pandemic and beyond. It highlights the interest and complexity of these new medical practices and discusses the issues raised by the combination of medical and digital requirements.
The bulletin makes explicit the ethical tensions relating to telemedicine and telecare that have been accentuated during the crisis, particularly those relating to medical secrecy and respect for confidentiality, patient consent and information, and the possible weakening of our healthcare system by possibly calling into question the principles of solidarity and mutualisation on which it is based.
Seventeen points of vigilance are drawn from this analysis, which should be pursued in particular through the most open deliberation possible on the human consequences of medical practices using digital objects.
Members of the National Digital Ethics Steering Committee :
- Gilles Adda
- Raja Chatila
- Theodore Christakis
- Laure Coulombel
- Jean-François Delfraissy
- Laurence Devillers
- Karine Dognin-Sauz
- Gilles Dowek
- Valeria Faure-Muntian
- Christine Froidevaux
- Jean-Gabriel Ganascia
- Eric Germain
- Alexei Grinbaum
- David Gruson
- Emmanuel Hirsch
- Jeany Jean-Baptiste
- Claude Kirchner – Director
- Augustin Landler
- Christophe Lazaro
- Gwendal The Great
- Claire Levallois-Barth
- Caroline Martin
- Tristan Nitot
- Jérôme Perrin
- Catherine Tessier
- Serena Villata
- Celia Zolynski
