Privacy, Ethics and Caregiving Technology for Older Adults: Privacy, Ethics and Caregiving Technology for Older Adults Michael Cantor, MD, JD VA New England Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC)


Technology and Ethics: Technology and Ethics What kinds of technology? What ethical issues are raised? Focus on Privacy What are threats to privacy? Does it matter that older adults are using technology?


Ethical Issues: Ethical Issues Informed Consent Information provided: risks, benefits, alternatives Understanding of information Capacity to choose Voluntariness Justice in access/distribution of technology Digital Divide Gaps in insurance coverage and financing


Slide4: Early Ericsson Phone


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Slide10: Nursebot CMU/Pitt


Slide11: Federal Trade Commission: National and State Trends in Fraudandamp; Identity Theft January - December 2004. (2005). http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/pdf/clearinghouse_2004.pdf


Slide12: Federal Trade Commission: National and State Trends in Fraudandamp; Identity Theft January - December 2004. (2005). http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/pdf/clearinghouse_2004.pdf


Slide13: ISAC Vanderbilt


Slide14: VeriChip Implantable RFID Tag


Slide15: VeriChip Information Process


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Needs of Older Adults: Needs of Older Adults Monitoring offers benefits Management of chronic disease Reassurance to caregivers Alarm systems Cognitively impaired older adults can perhaps benefit most from monitoring


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Home Monitoring: Home Monitoring Many technologies to support aging involve monitoring Who has access to this information? Who decides who gets access to this information?


Privacy: Privacy Definition (difficult): the ability of an individual to control (limit) access to personal information and protect own space Right to be left alone Right to decide how private information is used Definition/practice of 'privacy' is fluid


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Privacy and Caregiving: Privacy and Caregiving Privacy is about deciding who gets access to private information Older adults do not lose right to decide Older adults who are not capable of deciding should be assisted by surrogates Older adults may be more concerned about privacy and risks from technology


Attitudes About Privacy: Attitudes About Privacy Privacy fundamentalists – 25% Privacy unconcerned – 12% Privacy pragmatists – 63% - Numbers from Lester The Reinvention of Privacy, Atlantic Monthly, 3/01 Older adults???


Privacy Protections: Privacy Protections Informed Consent to any sharing of data before data gathering occurs Assurance that surrogate makes decisions if older adult can’t Balancing of needs and rights of older adults and caregivers


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Unresolved Questions: Unresolved Questions How to build privacy protections into new technologies? What are implications of privacy protection laws/rules for assistive technology (E.g. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)) How will evolving concept of privacy in the networked information age shape the acceptability of technology?