Data Privacy extends into all fields of IT and new technological developments make it hard to keep on top, as data breaches pile up and personal data becomes more and more valuable. In this spotlight, SI explores the intricaties of data privacy and the challenges that come up between keeping an individual's data safe and being able to use data in an ethical way. For this purpose, we organize events to discuss the finer points of data privacy and bring our members together.

The SI Evening Talk of November 29, 2022, hosted at isolutions AG, was devoted to the complex topic of medical data: “Data for the Benefit of the Patient”.

Today, Switzerland is still struggling in many ways to find its path forward in handling medical data and addressing the opportunities as well as the challenges that come with it. The collection and analysis of medical data offers new ways of diagnosis and can push the development for new treatments. However, the potential for abuse is also large, be it inadvertently through data leaks or through discriminatory practices, for example, denying access to healthcare based on data. As discussed in the previous SI evening talk on data protection (“New Federal Act on Data Protection (nFDPA): Application and Impact for Citizens and Enterprises“), the loss of control over one’s data is always at the forefront when handling sensitive data. This fear notwithstanding, the topic demands consideration.

SI vice president Dr. Nora Sleumer moderated this event, which brought together three distinguished speakers who shared their perspectives on the topic:
Dr. Carsten Danzer (Innovation Delivery Lead, Healthcare Industry, Roche),
Dr. Elke Mittendorf (Data Governance Manager, University Hospital Zurich), and
Prof. emeritus Dr. Ernst Hafen (ETH Zurich).