Tracing a pandemic - The importance of trust and benefits/challenges of information technology in the healthcare industry

Extensive disparities have been observed in pandemic management, data processing and technology usage between countries. For instance, Western democracies prioritize the value of individual privacy over public health, which so far has led to failing to control the latest virus COVID-19. In parallel and prior to the pandemic, attacks aimed at obtaining data and information have been steadily on the rise. Particularly personal data, including health data, has become a primordial asset. The inevitable fact that data is connected to the lives of citizens also raises political and ethical issues of privacy, confidentiality and data protection, which calls for rethinking the relation to citizens in the production of data. Citizens increasingly become aware of the impact of their data and information being misused, leading to the decrease of trust levels to organizations and governments. This trend potentially hinders development and implementation of technology, which could be overcome with appropriate implementation of security practices. Whilst the pandemic serves as a stark reminder of the challenges we still face as a civilization, it also creates an opportunity to innovate and explore the boundless possibilities working with technology and data could bring.