Ali Hemsley
This speculative Data Future Scenario considers the evolution of healthcare and technology – ultimately leading to a Tinder-esque app where doctors and patients can connect, providing key benefits to healthcare professionals such as time, ease, and choice through:
– Ratings and reviews
– ‘Preferred characteristics’ with a ‘matching’ score to help the algorithm
– Integration with wearable healthcare technology
– Messaging, booking and payment features
The Covid-19 pandemic dramatically increased the need for digital technology within healthcare as a method of connecting patients and professionals. The widely available NHS app connects to service providers such as ‘Patients Knows Best’ and registered GP practices, and many medical teams have continued to offer remote consultations. However, the NHS is underfunded and overstretched, and this has been exasperated by the pandemic – with long wait times leading to many considering private healthcare. As demand grows, such private healthcare professionals could become ‘choosier’ with who they accept as a patient, but how would one manage this? An app seems the most logical solution for both users. Additionally, insurance companies could link to this app – with patients who link to their wearable technologies, meet more preferred characteristics, and receive higher ratings, being rewarded with lower renewals and deductibles.
One important question stands out: who controls this data? As data is involved and given the capitalist values of Western society, there is an inherent power inbalance and the opportunity for exploitation. Ethical issues of informed consent, custodianship and respect all come into play.
Furthermore, within the ‘Patient Plus’ app, discrimination occurs through the collection of passive and pervasive data – likely leading to marginalised groups (on both sides) receiving lower matches, thus perpetuating inequality. The rating system allows additional opportunity for racism, sexism, transphobia etc, leading to marginalised groups facing further exclusion from affordable and accessible healthcare. Health is congruent to socio-economic status, and so this could have extremely damaging effects.
Patient Plus provides a speculative data future scenario based on the increasing reliance on technology within healthcare. It could be argued that Patient Plus allows patients to feel more in control of their health, especially when coupled with wearable technologies, but, this comes at a price: the data may be stored insecurely and privy to leaks; the data can be used to marginalise groups and heighten inequality, and the data can be exploited for profit. However, it is important to consider that the gathering of big data could be beneficial within healthcare and, ultimately, smart technology within healthcare can allow for faster access and diagnosis. If elements of the Patient Plus app were integrated into public health offerings, such as the Patient Knows Best service via the NHS, this could lead to a more efficient service and thus lower healthcare costs. However, the cost of employing such an integrated framework and the required data storage and security may not be viable, or perhaps appealing, unless said data can be exploited to turn a profit.
Contact Ali Hemsley
- ali.hemsley@hotmail.com
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-hemsley-5960101b4/
- @alihemsley