Mapping the ethical landscape of digital biomarkers: A scoping review

PLOS Digit Health. 2024 May 16;3(5):e0000519. doi: 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000519. eCollection 2024 May.

Abstract

In the evolving landscape of digital medicine, digital biomarkers have emerged as a transformative source of health data, positioning them as an indispensable element for the future of the discipline. This necessitates a comprehensive exploration of the ethical complexities and challenges intrinsic to this cutting-edge technology. To address this imperative, we conducted a scoping review, seeking to distill the scientific literature exploring the ethical dimensions of the use of digital biomarkers. By closely scrutinizing the literature, this review aims to bring to light the underlying ethical issues associated with the development and integration of digital biomarkers into medical practice.

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the ERA-NET ELSA_NEURON_026 grant, funded in Switzerland by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF - 10NE17_199434 to AB and MA), and by the NRP77 grant (SNSF - 407740_187356 to EV and AB). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.