9.G. Workshop: Looking beyond COVID-19: Putting people at the centre in the digital health era
Authors:   Organised by: WHO/Europe, EUPHA,   Chair persons: Nick Fahy (UK), Dimitra Panteli (Belgium)
Published: October 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to the use of several technologies to control disease transmission. Whilst these applications are intended to empower people to be informed, alerted or to be able to pursue a so-called return to normality their use has also raised several questions around the way in which data is being gathered and used across countries. However, the potential of big data and real time data in better managing health and disease as well as in leaving nobody behind may have also been underestimated to date. This roundtable will permit a deep dive and follow up discussion to some of the points raised in the plenary debate on Capturing the breadth and depth of the digital health era - beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

The workshop will kick off with three lightning presentations:

COVID-19 contact tracing apps: Have they really been useful in the European Region?

Clayton Hamilton

The EU Digital Vaccination Certificate - Where do freedom of movement, equity, and public health coincide? - EU representative tbc

The use of Big Data to improve people's health: Big Brother watching or genuine potential to improve health and well-being on a massive scale - David Novillo

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the use of new and existing technologies to help support the national public health response and mitigate the impacts on the continuity of essential health services. While many digital applications employed in the context of COVID-19 have been designed to inform and empower individuals, or to enable a gradual relaxation of public health and social measures, their continued use beyond the scope of the pandemic has raised questions as to the gathering and use of data by governments and its potential to be repurposed. At the same time, the potential of big data and real-time data to improve the quality of care and disease management and in working towards universal health coverage have also been underestimated to date. Addressing the underlying issues of public trust for digital technologies and data sharing, appropriate regulation and accountability mechanisms to protect the privacy of individuals, and the development of health workforce competencies in using digital tools are also part of the complex picture of barriers and enablers to putting people at the centre of their own health and well-being in the digital era.

This roundtable will involve a “technical deep dive” and follow up of the discussions and points raised in the plenary debate “Capturing the breadth and depth of the digital health era — beyond the COVID-19 pandemic”. The session will start with three lightning presentations to contextualize the application of digital technologies during the pandemic and will be followed by reflections and questions posed to a panel of civil society representatives in a discussion facilitated by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies.

Speakers/Panelists

Clayton Hamilton

Digital Health Flagship, WHO/Europe

Ioana-Maria Gligor

European Reference Networks and Digital Health DG SANTE, EC

David Novillo

Data, Metrics and Analytics, WHO/Europe

Dineke Zeegers Paget

EUPHA

Caroline Costongs

EuroHealthNet

Paolo Benanti

Moral Theology, Bioethics, and Neuroethics, Gregorian Pontifical University, Rome, Italy

Carlos Martins

Faculty of Medicine of Porto, Portugal

Key messages

As we have learned from COVID-19, the use of several technologies to help overcome the pandemic also raises questions around the way data is being gathered and used.