Data should be the new blood

May 2, 2019 8:17 AM

But not in a very Gothic way. A Lancet editorial recommends rethinking medical data metaphors and policy. "We propose that health-care data records are digital specimens and should be treated with the same rigour, care, and caution afforded to physical medical specimens." (SLLancet) (via)

For example,

to enable regulation and protection, digital specimens must be properly categorised by at least three attributes: by data type or format; by level of permission such as consented, unconsented, informed but not consented; and by level of risk to the data donor.

posted by doctornemo (3 comments total)

Data for the data god, PII for the PII throne
posted by cirgue at 8:44 AM on May 2, 2019 [3 favorites]

And data about actual or inferred mental state is in fact healthcare data and should be just as well protected.
posted by potrzebie at 9:26 AM on May 2, 2019 [2 favorites]

YESSSS. Data hygiene and provenance practices are long overdue in medical and not medical biological sciences.
posted by Made of Star Stuff at 9:40 AM on May 2, 2019 [1 favorite]