Essential steps to design with Ethics in mind. From Track and Trace to a future of digital health, with Professor Effy Vayena

In these times where the pressure of Track and Trace is ramping up around the world in the wake of expectations of a return to normality, I talk with Professor Effy Vayena from ETH Zurich about her work with the Swiss government in ethics, digital and the risks and rewards viewed under an ethical lens.

[0 Min] How to access time with Matt on your project / sign up to the Daily Dose of inspiration

[3 Mins]  An introduction to Effy Vayena and a review of Switzerland’s Covid experience [to date]

[6 Mins] The impact of fear and risk: The reality of the Covid experience.

[10 Mins] A background to ethics. The ethicist in all of us. How do we make decisions, especially in health.

[12 Mins] Digital healthcare and ethics: The opportunity, desire and the conversion of the digital and the biomedical. Beyond privacy alone.

[16 Mins] The Switzerland experience of Track and Trace and de-centralised alignment (with Google and Apple) , efficacy and privacy preserving decisions.

[20 Mins ] A more harmonious experience than the UK and a law behind the decisions.

[22 Mins] Being part of a science task force underpinning these factors in Switzerland. Decision making underpinning the experience and peoples liberties.

[24 Mins] Absolutely voluntary which was key. The law is that it cannot be mandatory. This tool has to be voluntary in a trust society.

[26 Mins] 18% download in Switzerland is not great; but actually not bad vs. other countries. Also, it is working to identify those that would have been missed by traditional tracing.

[29 Mins] The British creation of Black Mirror by Charlie Brooker. How can we avoid the Black mirror outcome?

[32 Mins] Even low case countries are now having outbreaks or second lockdown, NZ  and Israel included. We are all learning from imperfect tools. Also, the pandemic is being politicised.

[34 Mins] What about the economic impact in Switzerland? The relative successes of the Swiss social security process.

[38 Mins] The good, bad and ugly of digital health and ethics.

Good = Innovation. Bad = Rushed through tech without data security [not testing enough before release]  Ugly: Ineffectual and harmful products that destroy trust.

[42 Mins] Torn about IoT and, Product and Digital products under the lens of ethics [The Social Dilemma]

[44 Mins] Hard law vs Soft law in ethics.

[46 Mins] Magic Wand: Increased acumen- wisdom, responsibility, empathy to those in digital health to protect the many and not the few.

[48 Mins] Finding Effy online @effyvayena on Twitter

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