REVIEW

Digitalization of healthcare and ethical challenges of COVID‑19 pandemic

About authors

1 Kazan State Agrarian University, Kazan, Russia

2 Kazan State Medical University, Kazan, Russia

About paper

Author contributions: Nezhmetdinova FT — study concept and design; editing of the final version of the manuscript. Guryleva ME — literature search and analysis; preparation of the manuscript draft.

Received: 2021-08-05 Accepted: 2021-08-26 Published online: 2021-09-30
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By the end of the 20th century, medicine was the first to fly into the digital world. New practices of medical data collection and storage appeared, the interrelation between a patient and all subjects of medical activity altered, automatization and robotization transformed many medical technologies, and legislation underwent significant changes. It resulted in new possibilities of rendering medical aid and occurring risks. The article deals with principal notions associated with digital medicine and determines its pressing issues. The basic reasons for updating digital transformation of medicine and its leading trends are reviewed including for the purpose of emergency situations such as COVID-19 pandemics. Closer attention is paid to the ethical issues that arise when digital technologies have been implemented and applied in the healthcare system. They include voluntary informed consent, confidentiality, ethics of digital control, safety, equality, data accessibility and protection. An important role of legal regulation and observance of bioethical principles is stressed.

Keywords: risks, bioethics, digital economy, digital transformation of medicine, digital healthcare, ethical issues, law, COVID-19 pandemic

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