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BIOSENSOR ISSUES
Biosensors are still relatively a new addition to the realm of synthetic biology, and while their discovery and applications have been welcomed by many, some believe that biosensors can pose a negative effect on society. However, science has proved that biosensors offer more benefits than harm, and that the following social, ethical, and legal issues (SELI) will be heard and resolved in the coming years. You can keep reading or click the buttons above to navigate the various issues of biosensors!
Fully implemented biosensors can have a big impact on social interaction today, especially in the medical field and healthcare. Since biosensors are able to monitor the efficiency of our organs and track specific signals that could result in a fatal situation, the number of office visits will be greatly reduced, because biosensors would do what lab tests would accomplish in days, or, even weeks. Less people would be admitted into the emergency room because biosensors would have already detected a hidden precursor weeks before the event, and medical treatment could be given sooner. Situations that biosensors can detect before they actually happen include heart failure, stroke, and cardiac arrest.
SOCIAL ISSUES
Some fear that employing biosensors will create a gap in the trust and bond between a patient and doctor. Doctors might depersonalize the patient by solely documenting biosensor results into a computer and not build an emotional connection to truly understand what the patient is feeling. Patients could end up losing confidence in their doctors and not share true information about their condition, which would simply make their disease worse. However, the likelihood of this occuring is rare because biosensors would simply be a tool to the doctors for diagnosis and monitoring, and increase quality of care if in the hands of an already good doctor.
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Because biosensors are an emerging technology in today's world of synthetic biology, no specific regulations have been set yet. However, the legal issues biosensors present will need policies in the future.
Issues and solutions the medical field will have to deal with are listed below
Patient Confidentiality: Doctors have to ensure that the medical history of their patients remain private. Biosensors often use wireless transmission to transfer the electric signal into definite data, and this process can be prone to hacking. Hackers can intercept into this wireless transmission for identity theft as well as corruption of data. If successful, these criminals are able to withhold or modify important data from doctors, which can result in incorrect diagnosis and treatment.
Possible Solutions: In order to maintain patient security, hospitals and even the government can regulate access to information in which the patient may be identified. Several safeguard methods can also be utilized to grant permission to selective viewers. On an adminstrative level, doctors and officials should be cautious in inputting data and on an technical level, encryption should be put in place on websites containing personal information. Researchers conducting experiments can have access to data if the patient gives permission and remains confidential. One effective yet extensive law describing privacy rules for electronic medical data is the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
Incorrect Diagnosis: If biosensors have a glitch or improperly function, doctors may make wrong decisions in the care of their patients. If one of these mistakes from biosensors seriously harms the patient, the hospital is liable to get sued.
Possible Solutions: Regulations from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can be placed on biosensor manufactures so that each biosensor developed does its job right. Furthermore, doctors can diagnose a patient holistically by considering patient response and other tests. More accurate biosensors are being created to avoid such situations, but mistakes happen. It is up to a human to make the final decision.
Intergration with Medical Plans: Medical institutions are going to have to decide whether or not to include biosensors in their various treatment plans for free and for a fee. Insurance may have to be rewritten to include these valuable diagonistic tools.
LEGAL ISSUES
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ETHICAL ISSUES
Biosensors can have ethical implications on the world, and scientists must acknowlegde them before biosensors are fully integrated into society. If biosensors are distributed all over to those who can afford it, then will people in low-income gain access to this technology? Some fear not and that it will increase the severity of the already existing wealth gap.
Another concern is the use of biosensors in poorer, developing countries. Some agrue that it isn't ethical to detect and recognize a problem where the people cannot afford to do anything about the predicament. A hypothetical example would be detecting infectious diseases or water contamination but not equipping the villagers with medicine or chemicals to solve the problem.
Furthermore, a few people are worried about the effect biosensors may have on the environment. Extensive testing hasn't been conducted on the long-term, and so some believe that the electric signals biosensors emit could harm the native species of animals.
In addition, biosensors are expected to increase their role in quality control. Is it ethical for companies to replace humans with biosensors? Biosensors are designed to be as precise as possible but it is doubtful that they will flourish without human interpreters.
Lastly, some are concerned about who will be given access to biosensor technology. Will only the elderly or sickly be given treatment using biosensors? Or will only the rich be able to afford it? Thus, there is a debate on whether there will be discrimination on who will recieve diagnosis and treatment using biosensors.
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