Healthcare

. Fox, R. C. (2016). Advanced Medical Technology--Social and Ethical Implications. Annual Review of Sociology, 2, 231–268. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2946093

Research conducted by found that although technology provides increased benefits in the form of productivity enhancements and quality improvements, it does however provide ethical challenges. Here, Fox notes the cyber security investments needed to maintain the security of the technology. In many instances, the improvements in efficiency are offset by the increased need for continually reinvestment in security and other enhancements to the system. This presents ethical challenges for certain practices who are reluctant to renew or to adopt the latest cyber security practices, those exposing client data to criminals.

2. Gottlieb, S. (2003). The Future of Medical Technology. The New Atlantis, 1, 79–87. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43152854

In his research Gottlieb provides evidence as to the future of technology within the developed world. Here, Gottlieb’s research indicates increased adoptions rates for Telemedicine and Telehealth applications within the developed world. In addition, as consumers are now becoming much more accepting of technology, the overall adoption rates of these technologies have increased. The benefits provided to healthcare organizations are heavily related to efficiencies. Here, healthcare organizations leveraging these technologies will have fewer appointment delays, lower cancelations and improved operation efficiency. These elements will ultimately coalesce into a better healthcare experience for customers according to Gottlieb. Through his research, these technology advancements will look to lower the overall cost of healthcare for consumers around the world.

3. Henk A. (2020). Medical Technology Assessment and Ethics Ambivalent Relations. The Hastings Center Report, 25(5), 13–19. https://doi.org/10.2307/3562789

Through his research, Henk looks to assess the over ethical implication of technology on society. Through his studies he found that ethical considerations related to use of data, security and overall training were lacking in the medical field. Through his assessment, he found that data was often not secure electronically. Software programs were antiquated and training was not sufficient. These issues are exacerbated during highly stressful work environments, such as those that occurred during COVID-19. Here, data security was often not considered due to the urgency of other matters during the pandemic. As such, large amounts of fraud occurred, related to insurance claims, medical loan applications, and even government assistance. Here, personal data was often stolen and used as a means to obtain economic benefit.

4. Hofmann, B. M. (2015). Too much technology. BMJ: British Medical Journal, 350. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26518356

Hoffmann through his studies found that technology, although beneficial, can incur diminishing returns as it relates to these benefits. Through his research, Hofmann found that medical organizations use about 30 different technology solutions throughout their business practices. These solutions vary from human resource management provided by organizations such as ADP, to missions critical systems accounting systems such as Quick Books. These technology solutions are often siloed creating inefficiencies as it relates to data collection and integration. These solutions can also create security risk as these platforms each have their own security competencies. As a result, a breach in any one of these systems can expose the entire healthcare organizations data. Here, Hoffman makes an argument that healthcare providers should simplify their solutions to better assess and monitor the risks.