Data Ethics in Catholic Health Systems

Abstract

The Catholic moral tradition has a rich foundation that applies broadly to encompass all areas of human experience. Yet, there is comparatively little in Catholic thought on the ethics of the collection and use of data, especially in healthcare. We provide here a brief overview of terminology, concepts, and applications of data in the context of healthcare, summarize relevant theological principles and themes (including the Vatican’s Rome Call for AI Ethics), and offer key questions for ethicists and data managers to consider as they analyze ethical implications pertinent to data governance and data management.

Subsidiarity and Participation in an Age of Catholic Mega-Systems

“…7One example of decisions that are rightly made from a top-down approach are data governance policies and contracts, since leaders from across centralized functional areas of the organization can determine best practices and anticipate how to avoid consequences which do not align with the mission of the organization. For more on data governance specifically, see Barina, et al forthcoming.…”