vbid/9781351780391

Description

What is �digital health�? And, what are its implications for medicine and healthcare, and for individual citizens and society? �Digital health� is of growing interest to policymakers, clinicians, and businesses. It is underpinned by promise and optimism, with predictions that digital technologies and related innovations will soon �transform� medicine and healthcare, and enable individuals to better manage their own health and risk and to receive a more �personalised� treatment and care. Offering a sociological perspective, this book critically examines the dimensions and implications of �digital health�, a term that is often ill defined, but signifies the promise of technology to �empower� individuals and improve their lives as well as generating efficiencies and wealth. The chapters explore relevant sociological concepts and theories; changing conceptions of the self-evident in citizens� growing use of wearables, online behaviours and patient activism; changes in medical practices, especially precision (or �personalised�) medicine and growing reliance on �big data� and algorithm-driven decisions; the character of the digital healthcare economy; and the perils of �digital health�. It is argued that, for various reasons, including the way digital technologies are designed and operate and the influence of big technology companies and other interests seeking to monetise citizens� data, �digital health� is unlikely to deliver much of what is promised. Citizens� use of digital technologies is likened to a Faustian bargain: citizens are likely to surrender something of far greater value (their personal data) than what they obtain from their use. However, growing data activism and calls for �algorithmic accountability� highlight the potential for citizens to create alternative futures�ones oriented to fulfilling human needs rather than techno-utopian visions. This ground-breaking book will provide an invaluable resource for those seeking to understand the socio-cultural and politico-economic implications of digital health.Typham this is the title: Digital Health and Technological Promise A Sociological Inquiry 1st Edition