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European Electronic Personal Health Records initiatives and vulnerable migrants: A need for greater ethical, legal and social safeguards
Author(s) -
Feeney Oliver,
WernerFelmayer Gabriele,
Siipi Helena,
Frischhut Markus,
Zullo Silvia,
Barteczko Ursela,
Øystein Ursin Lars,
Linn Shai,
Felzmann Heike,
Krajnović Dušanka,
Saunders John,
Rakić Vojin
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
developing world bioethics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.398
H-Index - 27
eISSN - 1471-8847
pISSN - 1471-8731
DOI - 10.1111/dewb.12240
Subject(s) - internet privacy , business , ethical issues , public relations , health care , information sharing , personally identifiable information , data sharing , political science , medicine , engineering ethics , computer science , law , engineering , alternative medicine , pathology
The effective collection and management of personal data of rapidly migrating populations is important for ensuring adequate healthcare and monitoring of a displaced peoples’ health status. With developments in ICT data sharing capabilities, electronic personal health records (ePHRs) are increasingly replacing less transportable paper records. ePHRs offer further advantages of improving accuracy and completeness of information and seem tailored for rapidly displaced and mobile populations. Various emerging initiatives in Europe are seeking to develop migrant‐centric ePHR responses. This paper highlights their importance and benefits, but also identifies a number of significant ethical, legal and social issues (ELSI) and challenges to their design and implementation, regarding (1) the kind of information that should be stored, (2) who should have access to information, and (3) potential misuse of information. These challenges need to be urgently addressed to make possible the beneficial use of ePHRs for vulnerable migrants in Europe.