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Wednesday Nov 20th, 2019—4:00pm to 5:00pm
Digital Health Privacy and Age: Legal and Ethical Considerations in Long-Term Care
Tara Sklar, JD, MPH
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Sensor monitoring technologies provide a promising avenue for improving quality and safety in long-term care at senior residential facilities and directly in the home. The growth in the use of sensors reduces staffing challenges, enables older adults to have a greater degree of self-management, and decrease overall costs of care. The advantages of sensor monitoring technology are not, however, without their risks: the necessary trade-offs between innovation and privacy are heightened when applied to an older population where decreased cognitive function plays a larger role. While there is emerging scholarship on privacy concerns in health care settings and for patient data sharing, there is limited literature that explores privacy and acceptance of sensors by seniors in long-term care settings. This Article raises legal and ethical considerations around the continuous use of sensors in long-term care and suggests optimal integration approaches to align with the emerging privacy protections in digital health.

Tara Sklar, JD, MPH, is a Professor of Health Law and Director of the Graduate Health Sciences Programs at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. At the University of Arizona, Sklar launched and oversees multidisciplinary, online graduate programs in Health Law, including a future Graduate Certificate in Aging Law & Policy. Professor Sklar teaches and writes on how laws and policies influence the health and well-being of older adults. Her research has appeared in the Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, Annals of Health Law & Life Sciences, and The Elder Law Journal, among others. Prior to her current role, Sklar was the inaugural Director of Aging Programs and established the first online Master of Aging degree across eight colleges at the University of Melbourne in Australia. In collaboration with Coursera, she designed and led a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) that has registered nearly 20,000 students called Rethinking Aging: Are We Prepared to Live Longer?.

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News and Events

Should Family Members Watch as Their Dying Loved Ones Get CPR?


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Images:
Nate Johnson, Mary Drago, and Victoria Calvelage participate in an improv session led by Dr Kevin Boesen. Photo by Jenney Craer, ABN Director Jason Robert and Hospice of the Valley nurse Mark Rivard participate in one of Dr Boesen's exercises. Photo by Jenney Craer

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