Datafication: the Flavor and Scent of Data

Area of Science:

• Health informatics
• Digital health ethics
• Sociotechnical systems

Background:

• Healthcare data management faces multifaceted challenges.
• Existing frameworks often address data handling in silos.
• Recent reports highlight the need for a comprehensive approach to health futures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a three-level framework for understanding healthcare data handling.
• To integrate ethical, political, and phenomenological perspectives.
• To provide a holistic approach for data appropriation in healthcare.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of key reports and publications on health futures and data publics.
• Philosophical and phenomenological framing of human-digital interaction.
• Synthesis of ethical principles, political negotiations, and physical-digital relations.

Main Results:

• Identified three critical levels for healthcare data handling: ethical, political, and phenomenological.
• Demonstrated the interconnectedness of these levels in data governance.
• Highlighted the necessity of a multi-level approach for effective data integration.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive, multi-level framework is essential for navigating the complexities of healthcare data.
• Integrating ethical, political, and phenomenological insights enhances data appropriation.
• This approach supports responsible data management across global, national, institutional, and individual levels.