IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsoctx/v14y2024i9p163-d1466671.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Datafication of Care: Security and Privacy Issues with Health Technology for People with Diabetes

Author

Listed:
  • Alessia Bertolazzi

    (Department of Political Science, Communication and International Relations, University of Macerata, 62100 Macerata, Italy)

  • Katarzyna Marzęda-Młynarska

    (Institute of International Relations, Faculty of Political Science and Journalism, Department of International Security, University of Maria Curie-Skłodowska, 20-031 Lublin, Poland)

  • Justyna Kięczkowska

    (Institute of International Relations, Faculty of Political Science and Journalism, Department of International Security, University of Maria Curie-Skłodowska, 20-031 Lublin, Poland)

  • Maria Letizia Zanier

    (Department of Political Science, Communication and International Relations, University of Macerata, 62100 Macerata, Italy)

Abstract

Through the conceptual framework of datafication, dataism and dataveillance, this study investigates beliefs and attitudes regarding datafication and the related privacy and security concerns among individuals with Type 1 diabetes. Qualitative research was conducted through interviews among fifty-two individuals with Type 1 diabetes in Poland and Italy. The findings reveal a dynamic interplay between self-discipline and empowerment. The majority of interviewees emphasized the benefits of technologies for gaining a better understanding of their health condition and for more effective disease management. However, a minority of interviewees perceived the negative effects of datafication, including dataveillance, which leads to hyper-control of the disease, and dataism, characterized by excessive reliance on and dependency on technology. Critical beliefs about technologies fuelled rejection attitudes, leading some interviewees to suspend or abandon their use. Lastly, reflexivity on privacy and security issues appears to be low, particularly among older individuals with lower levels of education and socioeconomic status. This results in a poor understanding and underestimation of the potential risks associated with security and privacy. The findings increase the understanding of the factors that can facilitate or hinder the adoption of technology among people with diabetes.

Suggested Citation

  • Alessia Bertolazzi & Katarzyna Marzęda-Młynarska & Justyna Kięczkowska & Maria Letizia Zanier, 2024. "Datafication of Care: Security and Privacy Issues with Health Technology for People with Diabetes," Societies, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-25, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:14:y:2024:i:9:p:163-:d:1466671
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/14/9/163/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/14/9/163/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Minna Ruckenstein, 2014. "Visualized and Interacted Life: Personal Analytics and Engagements with Data Doubles," Societies, MDPI, vol. 4(1), pages 1-17, February.
    2. repec:elg:eebook:14251 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Petrakaki, Dimitra & Hilberg, Eva & Waring, Justin, 2018. "Between empowerment and self-discipline: Governing patients' conduct through technological self-care," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 213(C), pages 146-153.
    4. Charmaz, Kathy, 1990. "'Discovering' chronic illness: Using grounded theory," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 30(11), pages 1161-1172, January.
    5. Chris Till, 2014. "Exercise as Labour: Quantified Self and the Transformation of Exercise into Labour," Societies, MDPI, vol. 4(3), pages 1-17, August.
    6. Angelos I. Stoumpos & Fotis Kitsios & Michael A. Talias, 2023. "Digital Transformation in Healthcare: Technology Acceptance and Its Applications," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-44, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Evgeniya G. Nim, 2019. "Digital Self-Tracking Among Russian Students: Practices And Discourses," HSE Working papers WP BRP 91/SOC/2019, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    2. Deborah Lupton, 2014. "Apps as Artefacts: Towards a Critical Perspective on Mobile Health and Medical Apps," Societies, MDPI, vol. 4(4), pages 1-17, October.
    3. Petrakaki, Dimitra & Hilberg, Eva & Waring, Justin, 2018. "Between empowerment and self-discipline: Governing patients' conduct through technological self-care," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 213(C), pages 146-153.
    4. Dimond, Rebecca & Stephens, Neil & Herbrand, Cathy, 2023. "Making patients political: Narrating, curating, enacting, and navigating the ‘idealised policy patient’," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 338(C).
    5. Langenmayr, Theresa, 2019. "Implementation of Strategic Change by Franchisees: A Sensemaking Perspective," Junior Management Science (JUMS), Junior Management Science e. V., vol. 4(2), pages 173-194.
    6. Adonteng-Kissi, Obed, 2018. "Causes of child labour: Perceptions of rural and urban parents in Ghana," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 55-65.
    7. Bindiya Dutt, 2023. "Wellbeing Amid Digital Risks: Implications of Digital Risks, Threats, and Scams on Users’ Wellbeing," Media and Communication, Cogitatio Press, vol. 11(2), pages 355-366.
    8. Joemar T. Miñoza & Mayeth S. Elloran, 2023. "Exploring parent’s role, involvement and challenges in the most critical stage of their children’s development," HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF SCIENCE - SOCIAL SCIENCES, HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF SCIENCE, HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY, vol. 13(2), pages 55-66.
    9. Krzysztof Bartosz Klimiuk & Dawid Krefta & Karol Kołkowski & Karol Flisikowski & Małgorzata Sokołowska-Wojdyło & Łukasz Balwicki, 2022. "Seasonal Patterns and Trends in Dermatoses in Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-14, July.
    10. Mifsud, Matthieu & Molines, Mathieu & Cases, Anne-Sophie & N'Goala, Gilles, 2019. "It's MY health care program: Enhancing patient adherence through psychological ownership," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 232(C), pages 307-315.
    11. Bindiya Dutt, 2023. "Wellbeing Amid Digital Risks: Implications of Digital Risks, Threats, and Scams on Users’ Wellbeing," Media and Communication, Cogitatio Press, vol. 11(2), pages 355-366.
    12. Fernando Almeida, 2024. "Contributions of Municipal Initiatives to Digital Health Equity," World, MDPI, vol. 5(4), pages 1-16, November.
    13. Enric Senabre Hidalgo & Mad P. Ball & Morgane Opoix & Bastian Greshake Tzovaras, 2022. "Shared motivations, goals and values in the practice of personal science: a community perspective on self-tracking for empirical knowledge," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-12, December.
    14. Nikayin, Fatemeh & Heikkilä, Marikka & de Reuver, Mark & Solaimani, Sam, 2014. "Workplace primary prevention programmes enabled by information and communication technology," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 326-332.
    15. Nissrine KHOUNA & Kaoutar HABLATOU & Mostapha AMRI, 2025. "The role of ICT in Moroccan smart cities: towards innovative hospital logistics," Smart Cities and Regional Development (SCRD) Journal, Smart-EDU Hub, Faculty of Public Administration, National University of Political Studies & Public Administration, vol. 9(3), pages 7-17, May.
    16. Bernardi, Roberta & Wu, Philip F., 2022. "Online health communities and the patient-doctor relationship: An institutional logics perspective," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 314(C).
    17. Alexandra Ainz-Galende & Rubén Rodríguez-Puertas, 2020. "The Demands of Niqabi Women in the Telegram Subaltern Corner Orgullo Niqabi," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(3), pages 286-295.
    18. Scales, Ashley N. & Quincy Brown, H., 2020. "The effects of organizational commitment and harmonious passion on voluntary turnover among social workers: A mixed methods study," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    19. Ioanna Karantza & Michael Chrissos Anestis & Sotirios Vlachakis, 2022. "Crisis mapping in the “senses” arena narratives," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 19(4), pages 649-673, December.
    20. Baki Cakici & Pedro Sanches, 2014. "Detecting the Visible: The Discursive Construction of Health Threats in a Syndromic Surveillance System Design," Societies, MDPI, vol. 4(3), pages 1-15, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:14:y:2024:i:9:p:163-:d:1466671. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.