背景:个人健康监测(PHM)领域在不同的背景下发展迅速,包括武装部队。了解这种类型的监控的道德层面是道德上负责任的发展的关键,PHM在武装部队中的实施和使用。对PHM伦理的研究主要是在平民环境中进行的,而PHM在武装部队中的伦理层面仍未得到充分研究。然而,根据设计,军事人员的PHM与平民的PHM不同,因为他们的任务和他们运作的背景。因此,本案例研究侧重于获得对不同利益相关者关于现有PHM形式的经验和相关价值的见解。Covid-19雷达应用程序,荷兰武装部队。
方法:我们进行了探索性定性研究,使用对荷兰武装部队12个利益相关者的半结构化访谈。我们专注于参与PHM的使用,对数据的实际使用和使用的思考,道德困境和道德支持的必要性,关于PHM。使用归纳专题方法对数据进行了分析。
结果:出现了反映PHM伦理维度的三个相互关联的类别:(1)价值观,(2)道德困境,(3)外部规范。确定的主要价值是:安全性(与数据相关),信任和等级制度。发现多个相关值。一些,但没有广泛的共享,确定了道德困境,并没有强烈需要道德支持。
结论:这项研究揭示了关键值,提供对经验丰富和假定的道德困境的见解,并在观察武装部队中的PHM时牢记道德支持考虑。当个人和组织利益不一致时,某些价值观会给军事用户带来一定的脆弱性。此外,一些确定的价值观可能会阻碍对PHM的仔细考虑,因为它们可能掩盖了PHM的部分伦理层面.道德支持可以帮助发现和解决这些隐藏的部分。调查结果突显了武装部队对PHM的道德层面的关注的道德责任。
The field of personal health monitoring (PHM) develops rapidly in different contexts, including the armed forces. Understanding the ethical dimension of this type of monitoring is key to a morally
responsible development, implementation and usage of PHM within the armed forces. Research on the ethics of PHM has primarily been carried out in civilian settings, while the ethical dimension of PHM in the armed forces remains understudied. Yet, PHM of military personnel by design takes place in a different setting than PHM of civilians, because of their tasks and the context in which they operate. This case study therefore focusses on obtaining insights into the experiences and related values of different stakeholders regarding an existing form of PHM, the Covid-19 Radar app, in the Netherlands Armed Forces.
We carried out an exploratory qualitative study, using semi-structured interviews with twelve stakeholders in the Netherlands Armed Forces. We focussed on participation in the use of PHM, reflections on the practical use and use of data, moral dilemmas and the need for ethics support, all in regard to PHM. The data was analysed using an inductive thematic approach.
Three interlinking categories reflecting ethical dimensions of PHM emerged: (1) values, (2) moral dilemmas, and (3) external norms. The main values identified were: security (in relation to data), trust and hierarchy. Multiple related values were found. Some, but no broadly shared, moral dilemmas were identified and no strong need for ethics support was expressed.
This study shed light on key values, provide insights in the experienced and presumed moral dilemmas and bring to mind ethics support considerations when looking at PHM in the armed forces. Some values bring a certain vulnerability to military users when personal and organisational interests are not aligned. Furthermore, some identified values may hinder a careful consideration of PHM because they potentially conceal parts of ethical dimensions of PHM. Ethics support can assist in uncovering and addressing these concealed parts. The findings highlight a moral responsibility for the armed forces to devote attention to the ethical dimensions of PHM.