Homecare systems for elderly individuals are the trend I find most interesting. It is described in the article by Poule and Hakkila (2013). This technology allows older adults who prefer to age at home to protect their health, minimize risks of falls and injuries, and avoid critical situations when they person does not receive timely medical help (Poule & Hakkila, 2013). It is an example of a surveillance system that combines video and sensors to understand a person’s health state at a particular moment. The homecare system’s user interface is individual, meaning that every older adult can choose the options they find acceptable and necessary in their cases (Poule & Hakkila, 2013). It allows customers to avoid the feeling that someone constantly watches them and their privacy is disrupted in their homes.
Even though the positive sides of using homecare surveillance systems for older adults are evident for most healthcare professionals, caregivers, and patients, some ethical concerns are connected with their use. For instance, the first moral issue associated with the help of these systems is the deprivation of privacy that the older adult person has to endure while using the surveillance. The lack of desire to implement this technological tool is explainable because people usually negatively associate with surveillance systems (Scwamm, 2014). People do not want someone to constantly watch over them, even when they understand the vital need for health supervision. The second ethical concern is connected with excessive confidence in technologies that can save older adult life (CDC, 2011). People become assured that the surveillance system works ideally and will warn them in an emergency, and they forget about the risks themselves.
References
CDC. (2011). CDC health disparities and inequalities report – United States, 2011. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 60, 1-109.
Poule, M. & Hakkila, J. (2013). Elderly healthcare monitoring using an avatar-based 3D virtual environment. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 10, 7283-7298.
Scwamm, L. H. (2014). Telehealth: Seven strategies to successfully implement disruptive technology and transform health care. Health Affairs, 33(2), 200-206.