DEF CON Safe Mode Biohacking Village - Dena Medelsohn Jen Goldsack - Redefining Patient Safety

Digital technologies are the future of medicine--and perhaps also public health--but these innovative tools that offer great promise for higher quality, more affordable, more accessible care also pose new risks to patients. Using real-world examples, this presentation will make the case for expanding the list of harms considered when determining the risk-benefit profile of a medical product in the digital era of health. We will consider security practices -- and sometimes their absence -- and disparities in both access to technologies and technical literacy. Digital technologies - and in particular remote monitoring technologies such as wearables and other in - home smart sensors have the potential to transform health, healthcare, and health research. But these innovative tools also pose new risks to patients. Risk-benefit analysis is the bedrock of clinical decision making, from formulating individual treatment plans to drug approval decisions. However, while shaky data rights in the United States put patients at risk when they use digital health products, these risks are poorly understood and rarely included in risk-benefit analyses. This presentation will illustrate the new risks to patients posed by their digital health footprint-from challenges accessing health care to discrimination in the workplace-and explain for readers why data rights and security must be folded into a contemporary definition of 'patient safety'.