Digital Health: Deborah Lupton's Concept "Thinking with Care"

Abstract

The article discusses the digitalization of healthcare paying special attention to the concept of Australian sociologist Deborah Lupton. Health is one of the key areas for digitalization, where the benefits of using big data are obvious. New technologies are often а basis for modernizing national health systems for they make possible to ensure availability of various medical services for different groups of population. Lupton analyzes both the benefits and risks of digitalization in this area, thereby highlighting the ambivalent character of the ongoing changes. She believes that it is necessary to recognize the interaction not only between people, but also between people and digital technologies. These new relationships form a new social reality. The Australian sociologist focuses her attention on new opportunities due to digitalization which can improve people's lives. From her point of view, the "concept of fear" still dominant in social research of digital technologies should be replaced by the concept of "thinking with care", according to which the data obtained as a result of using new technologies can and should be used for the benefit of humanity. Lupton demonstrates that digital data can help reorganize health care system and change patterns in people's behavior related to their health, in particular, through the ability to regularly monitor indicators of one's condition.