MICRA introduces new 'Occasional Lunchtime Lecture Series'
26 September 2017
Guest speaker Dr Malcolm Fisk spoke on the ethics of using cameras in care settings.
On Thursday 21 September, MICRA started off the new academic year with the debut of the new 'Occasional Lunchtime Lecture Series'. The series is aimed at university academics, research staff and PhD students. The audience are welcome to bring their own lunch and enjoy the tea and coffee while benefitting from the insights of guest speakers and engaging in a lively debate on the topics covered.
Dr Malcolm Fisk of DeMontfort University leads the European Commission funded PROGRESSIVE project that is addressing ‘standards around ICT for active and healthy ageing’. This project focuses on key issues that relate to smart homes, telehealth, co-creation and interoperability. Malcolm is also Director of the Telehealth Quality Group (TQG), actively engaged in supporting the development of telehealth services according to appropriate service paradigms. At the heart of this work are quality benchmarks for telehealth (relating to a wide range of domains and very much from a service user/consumer perspective). This includes the development and promotion of a well-respected International Code of Practice for Telehealth Services. Malcolm’s other roles include being an expert advisor for ANEC: The European Consumer Voice on Standardisation.
The lecture, which was well attended, was themed on the ethics of using cameras in care homes. There are considerable concerns about the incidences of elder abuse that take place within care settings. Those concerns are heightened because of uncertainties regarding its prevalence and the potential measures, utilising surveillance technologies that can be seen as enabling the identification of and/or protection against abuse. This presentation sets the scene regarding elder abuse in care homes and the current technological tools that could assist.
Reference is made to relevant information on the topic provided by the CQC and to experience in the US and Australia. Challenging questions that relate to personal privacy, how much privacy might be protected, and how this can link to notions of care, are explored. Finally, the seven principles (previously set out by the presenter) that could underpin the use of surveillance technologies in care homes are visited and their potential wider adoption for use in-home care is considered.
Dr Fisk stated he was delighted with the event and found the discussion/debate very useful.
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Download a copy of the presentation (PDF, 1.9MB)