Ethical Considerations for Movement Mapping to Identify Disease Transmission Hotspots

Jong, Bouke C. de; Gaye, Badou M; Luyten, Jeroen; Buitenen, Bart van; André, Emmanuel; Meehan, Conor J.; O'Siochain, Cian; Tomsu, Kristýna; Urbain, Jérôme; Grietens, Koen Peeters; Njue, Maureen; Pinxten, Wim; Gehre, Florian; Nyan, Ousman; Buvé, Anne; Roca, Anna; Ravinetto, Raffaella; Antonio, Martín

doi:10.3201/eid2507.181421

Cited by 20 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Cross-national and national governance structures; institutional systems with regulatory, medical, ethical, and legal frameworks; and benchmarking standards have essential roles to play in the development and deployment of these new health technology systems. However, this review identified the urgent need for an ethical framework to underscore all AI-augmented infectious disease surveillance systems [ 18 , 19 , 30 ]. Considering the rapid development of global trade supply chains, mass gatherings, and international travel, World Health Organization’s International Health Regulations in 2005 [ 45 ] outlined the cross-border implications of a pandemic response and provided a framework for sharing, monitoring, and evaluating information from the sources of infections [ 37 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ethics, Integrity, and Retributions of Digital Detection Surveillance Systems for Infectious Diseases: Systematic Literature Review

Zhao¹,

Xuan²,

Yu³

et al. 2021

J Med Internet Res

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Background The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the importance of the deployment of digital detection surveillance systems to support early warning and monitoring of infectious diseases. These opportunities create a “double-edge sword,” as the ethical governance of such approaches often lags behind technological achievements. Objective The aim was to investigate ethical issues identified from utilizing artificial intelligence–augmented surveillance or early warning systems to monitor and detect common or novel infectious disease outbreaks. Methods In a number of databases, we searched relevant articles that addressed ethical issues of using artificial intelligence, digital surveillance systems, early warning systems, and/or big data analytics technology for detecting, monitoring, or tracing infectious diseases according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, and further identified and analyzed them with a theoretical framework. Results This systematic review identified 29 articles presented in 6 major themes clustered under individual, organizational, and societal levels, including awareness of implementing digital surveillance, digital integrity, trust, privacy and confidentiality, civil rights, and governance. While these measures were understandable during a pandemic, the public had concerns about receiving inadequate information; unclear governance frameworks; and lack of privacy protection, data integrity, and autonomy when utilizing infectious disease digital surveillance. The barriers to engagement could widen existing health care disparities or digital divides by underrepresenting vulnerable and at-risk populations, and patients’ highly sensitive data, such as their movements and contacts, could be exposed to outside sources, impinging significantly upon basic human and civil rights. Conclusions Our findings inform ethical considerations for service delivery models for medical practitioners and policymakers involved in the use of digital surveillance for infectious disease spread, and provide a basis for a global governance structure. Trial Registration PROSPERO CRD42021259180; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=259180

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ethics, Integrity, and Retributions of Digital Detection Surveillance Systems for Infectious Diseases: Systematic Literature Review

Zhao¹,

Xuan²,

Yu³

et al. 2021

J Med Internet Res

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“…Collecting personal mobility information, however, even for health application purposes, poses specific challenges when it comes to upholding ethical principles and issues of privacy [33] . Ultimately, the analysis of mobility data can be justified if it can yield benefits to public health.…”

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating How Smartphone Contact Tracing Technology Can Reduce the Spread of Infectious Diseases: The Case of COVID-19

et al. 2020

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Detecting and controlling the diffusion of infectious diseases such as COVID-19 is crucial to managing epidemics. One common measure taken to contain or reduce diffusion is to detect infected individuals and trace their prior contacts so as to then selectively isolate any individuals likely to have been infected. These prior contacts can be traced using mobile devices such as smartphones or smartwatches, which can continuously collect the location and contacts of their owners by using their embedded localisation and communications technologies, such as GPS, Cellular networks, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of these technologies and determines the impact of contact tracing precision on the spread and control of infectious diseases. To this end, we have created an epidemic model that we used to evaluate the efficiency and cost (number of people quarantined) of the measures to be taken, depending on the smartphone contact tracing technologies used. Our results show that in order to be effective for the COVID-19 disease, the contact tracing technology must be precise, contacts must be traced quickly, and a significant percentage of the population must use the smartphone contact tracing application. These strict requirements make smartphone-based contact tracing rather ineffective at containing the spread of the infection during the first outbreak of the virus. However, considering a second wave, where a portion of the population will have gained immunity, or in combination with some other more lenient measures, smartphone-based contact tracing could be extremely useful.

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“…The COVID-19 pandemic is worrisome because of the high morbidity and mortality rates in addition to the accompanying socio-economic and psychological burden. While the treatment and control of the disease decisions fall within the purview of policymakers and healthcare workers, the legal, cultural, socio-economic and psychological effects are issues that bother on the people [ 9 ]. Many of these issues have manifested in the last few weeks of implementing preventive measures for the pandemic, ranging from complaints about social distance, isolation, lockdown, testing, lack of basic amenities, especially water and electricity, contact tracing and data sharing.…”

Section: Commentarymentioning

confidence: 99%

Ethical issues in the COVID-19 pandemic control preparedness in a developing economy

Jegede¹,

Ajayi²,

Akintola³

et al. 2020

Pan Afr Med J

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Adequate preparation for highly pathogenic infectious disease pandemic can reduce the incidence, prevalence and burden of diseases like COVID-19 pandemic. An antidote to the spread of the disease is adequate preparation for its control since there is no proven curative measure yet. Effective management of identified cases, social distancing, contact tracing and provision of basic infrastructure to facilitate compliance with preventive measures, testing are proven management strategies. Although these measures seem to be the best options presently, it is important to pay attention to ethical issues arising from the implementation process to ensure best practice. While disease epidemic is not alien to human societies, lessons from previous outbreaks are vital for addressing future outbreaks. For effective control of this pandemic, there should be a clear definition of social distancing in terms of distance and space in line with the WHO definition, adequate provision of basic amenities, screening and testing with specific criteria for selecting those to be screened. Also, there should be a free testing procedure, access to treatment opportunities for those who test positive, ethical free contact tracing practice, respect for the autonomy of those to be tested, and global best practice of open science, open data and data sharing practices. In conclusion, a framework/guideline for epidemic/pandemic ethics guidance should be developed while an ethical sensitive communication manual should be prepared for public engagement on epidemic and pandemic.

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Ethical Considerations for Movement Mapping to Identify Disease Transmission Hotspots

Cited by 20 publications

References 25 publications

Ethics, Integrity, and Retributions of Digital Detection Surveillance Systems for Infectious Diseases: Systematic Literature Review

Ethics, Integrity, and Retributions of Digital Detection Surveillance Systems for Infectious Diseases: Systematic Literature Review

Evaluating How Smartphone Contact Tracing Technology Can Reduce the Spread of Infectious Diseases: The Case of COVID-19

Ethical issues in the COVID-19 pandemic control preparedness in a developing economy

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