Balancing Innovation and Responsibility With Citizen Data : A Case of Wellness Records

Abstract

In the age of the data and artificial intelligence, the data itself has become as the fuel of new innovations, improvements and prosperity. However, in the domain of healthcare and citizen-based personal data, the regulation and freedom of usage have been naturally remarkable more controlled than in the other domains. This study takes a look on the domain where the information considered is personal data, yet its secondary usage is not regulated as strictly as, for instance, personal health records. The case of wellness records is used as an exemplar case as it falls between these ends. This study contributes to this discussion of ethical data economy by emphasizing the point of cultivating or preventing innovations in the usage of data. While a majority of the extant literature focuses on the aspects of control and freedom, this study emphasizes also the potential for new innovations that the data could offer. Yet, this needs careful balancing between innovativeness and responsibilities.