telemedicine and gerontechnology: necessity oF aninternational steering by ethics

Abstract

Telemedicine and gerontechnology develop a mode that can be described as“hyperactive paralysis”, i.e., an uncontrolled and unsuccessful proliferation of toolsand limited experiments that results in an inability to establish useful, desired, andsustainable products. The purpose of this article is to show, from national andinternational scientific research, the need to anchor the development of newpractices and experiments of new organizations on the notion of ethics if we reallywish to overcome this hyperactive paralysis. indeed, the current internationalcontext of aging populations and socio-economic crisis urgently urges to developreliable and affordable products to help vulnerable people, particularly those whosuffer from alzheimer’s disease or related disorders. However, instead of sustainableand adapted products, this context fosters the development of cost effective productsin the very short term, with strong planned obsolescence. This tendency raisesjustified fears within public opinion, politics and science that nevertheless may alsogo against the right of every citizen to benefit of advanced science and itstechnological outcomes. The task of ethics is precisely to define and implement theprinciples to solve this dilemma. ethics, however, should not be limited to aregulatory or advisory role. in order to adhere the main objective of development oftelemedicine and gerontechnology – which is the help to people in distress –, ethicsshould also govern the decisions and be the engine of a controlled and rational useof technology