Projects / Programmes
Health in your pocket and on the internet: critical re-examination of contemporary advanced tools and technological intervention in the healthcare arena
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 6.03.02 |
Humanities |
Anthropology |
Social and cultural anthropology |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| S220 |
Social sciences |
Cultural anthropology, ethnology |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 5.04 |
Social Sciences |
Sociology |
medical anthropology. cybermedicine, m-health, e-health, advanced digital technology and health, social transformations
Researchers (1)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
31559 |
PhD Jana Šimenc |
Anthropology |
Head |
2016 - 2017 |
107 |
Organisations (1)
Abstract
The project proposal is about critical anthropological investigation of power and relations, transformations, process and social dimensions in cybermedicine (more specifically, mHealth, eHealth). The technological shifts and developments in cybermedicine are extremely dynamic and rapid, eHealth and mHealth market is booming and predictions are heading towards the sky (Health in … 2014).
The discourse on the impact of technology in cybermedicine is heavily dominated by un-critical techno-utopian position. It includes great promises of the technological revolutionary potential. Yet despite different optimistic governmental and industry predictions, many initiatives in the field of telemedicine do not run (smoothly). It is becoming more and more obvious that human or cultural factor has a strong impact on slower expansion of cybermedicine.
Still critical social sciences’ analysis and evaluation of socio-cultural dimensions in the dynamics of integration of digital technology in healthcare remains on the margins or even missing in the public discourse and in the process of developing technologies.
Therefore the aim of the proposed research is to fill the gap. One of the main drivers of the proposed research is to examine both the ‘mechanical’ foundations of these phenomena and the actual processes and structures that define their scope and significance; especially the aspects connected to reducing/increasing health inequalities and the forms of social solidarity.
The main objectives of the research are:
- Analysis of the contemporary phenomena of social change and modern discourse of understanding disease, illness and health.
- Analysis of an individual's motives for not/engaging in the co-creation processes in the context of cybermedicine.
- Reflections on the links between the use of technology and technologies of self.
- Analysis of the processes of creating self-healing or self-preventive rituals using digital health applications (commodification of health, medicalization of the society …).
- Disclosure of power structures.
The approach to examine digital technologies in health will not be utopian nor dystopian. To gain critical and in-depth insights on the subject, qualitative medical-anthropological methodological approaches will be used: analysis of the material, participant observation (fieldwork), in-depth (planned and semi-structured) 30 interviews with users and representatives of industry and medicine. During the entire life-cycle of the project and parallel to all project activities and work packages, participant observation will be conducted. The research will also be a form of cyber-ethnography, which is a modern, yet already proven form of anthropological research (Miller & Slater, 2000).
Research will be conducted in Slovenia. But the World Wide Web and digital technology nets are a global phenomenon that could not be limited to the country's borders. That is why research terrain will not be confined to Slovenia.
The complex socio-cultural processes and phenomena will be analyzed and displayed using three selected representative case studies. In the phase of data analysis, critical medical anthropological theoretical approach will be predominantly applied. Rabinow’s (2011) understanding of modernity will be taken into account as well, supported by the theory of normalization processes (TNP) (May 2013).
The purpose of this research is to shed light on the neglected social backgrounds and to deepen the dialogue between the views of social anthropology, medicine and industry. With improved reciprocity and cooperation, project aims to create new research paths. The proposed project will have an outstanding theoretical and applicative relevance for the development of medical anthropology in Slovenia. Because these are contemporary and universal study topic, the results will be also relevant for the development of international anthropological community. At the same time the project will be
Significance for science
The proposed project had a theoretical and applicative relevance for the development of contemporary anthropology, particularly its subfield medical anthropology, in Slovenian and wider academic community. Namely, it has opened up an extremely topical and anthropologically under- researched topic of digital health ontologies (sociology, STS studies, psychology and informatics have given it a lot more research attention). Among the reasons for this "anthropological backlog" can be found in methodology, since anthropological research requires long-term observation. Still, over the past two years (project duration) an increase anthropological attention to the subject can be observed. Stronger theoretical centers and research groups have been formed in Great Britain, Scandinavia, the United States and the Netherlands (after all, these are also countries that create certain "trends" and technological innovations). The researcher regularly followed the progress of ongoing projects, and she also became acquainted with some preliminary research results on the basis of personal contacts. With some, mutual exchange of observations and relevant literature was developed. Further research results provided fresh empirical insights about how digital technologies are reshaping our understandings of health, illness, disease and influencing contemporary medical practice. Some contribution to resolving anthropological methodological dilemmas when exploring the digital/virtual/on-line were made. The researcher advocates a holistic approach and the need to constantly question the dynamic relationship between the digital and the analog (Boellstorff 2016, Miller 2017). Thus the project run in close references and contact with contemporary theoretical and methodological approaches of anthropological thought, which researcher introduced into the domestic anthropological milieu. At the same time, she conveyed research findings from the post-socialist context to the international research environment through participation at conferences and integration into research networks. Thus, the present project also has a comparative value in the international context. Further, with this project an important contribution was made to the further development of medical anthropology in Slovenia. Researcher gave an initiative and co-edited comprehensive special issue titled Meanders of medial anthropology (in Journal of Slovenian ethnological society). Special issue assured certain continuity of the discipline (that lacks institutional support), the visibility of recent work of researchers with different theoretical and thematic orientations, and contributed to the establishment of Slovene terminology. Nonetheless, it connected and brought closed (isolated) researchers. Nonetheless, with an active approach and researcher’s excellent communicative skills, the goal of the project was also achieved, as she has been successfully passing on project findings among various academic (medical, philosophical, health, computing, sociological) and professional (political, public health, startup) public. She managed to create several solid foundations for further interdisciplinary collaboration and development of new research pathways. It is important to emphasize that the researcher persists and succeeds in preserving the specificity, character and criticality of anthropological thought, and does not conform to market requirements or any simplifications in anthropological methodology.
Significance for the country
The so called digital health is relatively novel concept. After only 20 years of developments it has left a strong mark on the healthcare arena. It was turned into a trade mark for changes, progress and transformation. Yet despite far-reaching and rapid technological advances, the culture of the digital health is showing to be far more complex (than e.g. informatization of banks, governmental registries … etc.). Policymakers, start-ups and hospital leaders have been struggling with large-scale implementation or integration of different digital innovations in practice. Thus, how to transfer changes and innovations into practice and assure its sustainability is currently one of the core questions in the field. To much focus in put on efficiency, usability, economic advantages, usefulness of new technologies, while little is acknowledged about the number of unintended consequences, paradoxes, new socio-material relationships that are emerging. The research was is a unique contribution to a better understanding of the relational and ontological complexity of socio-cultural infrastructures enacted by introducing the digital and new technologies in health care sphere. The researcher demonstrated the need for a better comprehension of processes, materialities and relations in medical practice. The selected project findings and results are being transmitted to the creators of the eHealth strategy Slovenia (which is still, despite years of its forecasts not developed). The researcher expects that through further (established) cooperation and conversations with the competent authorities, the research results will be taken into account in the future. In that way, they should directly lead towards creation of more inclusive digital health solutions. Further, they should contribute to a better implementation of eHealth solution, that will above all serve and support the patients and health care professionals.
Most important scientific results
Final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Interim report,
final report
