Big Data and Bigger Dilemmas: Ethical Concerns of Data in Healthcare

The healthcare system collaborates with a wide range of stakeholders working towards shared objectives and generating an immensely large volume of data. This offers researchers an extensive reservoir of data which contributes to the advancement of medical science and treatment practices. However, this data deluge has also brought about a variety of ethical quandaries that are intertwined with big data in healthcare. This research paper examines the complex relationship between the ever-increasing use of big data and major ethical issues that are corollaries of the use and explores the potentials of principlism as a promising tool to evaluate ethical ramifications of utilising big data in healthcare. In addition to recognizing the moral dilemmas, the paper also proposes a comprehensive protocol for effective utilization of big data in healthcare and recommends a synergetic approach which incorporates both the data driven innovation strategies in healthcare and adequate attention to moral maps and normative frameworks.