Autonomous Systems in Healthcare: exploring the role of medical sociology
8 – 9 June 2023
Thu, 12:00 – Fri, 15:45
University of Nottingham, UK
This symposium focuses on some of the sociological, technological, and human rights issues at stake relating to autonomous systems in healthcare. This is an emerging area of study, with technological discoveries, applications, and policymaking still in their infancy. For example, the UK’s Industrial Strategy recently listed the development of autonomous systems in healthcare as one of the country’s Grand Challenges towards the provision of longer and healthier lives for its people. Systems like medical robotics, intelligent wheelchairs, smart homes, and personal assistive robots, which can operate with little or no human supervision locally or from a distance, are expected to benefit individual patients and healthcare systems by improving outcomes and cost-effectiveness of provided care and medical innovation.
However, there exists the possibility of significant harm or missed opportunities for advancement if such sophisticated technologies are not utilised effectively and safely by the humans involved. It is therefore scientifically, socially and ethically essential that some of the most pertinent opportunities and drawbacks associated with the adoption and full-scale deployment of these systems are explored in depth. At the same time, little has been written in the published medical sociology literature about autonomous systems. A great disciplinary gap, therefore, exists that this symposium aims to fill both theoretically and methodologically.
We seek to provide a supportive space where experts from disparate – but related – disciplines (such as philosophy, computer science, law, healthcare sciences and psychology) will come together with sociologists to share ideas in an interdisciplinary dialogue of open discussion about the role of medical sociology in understanding how practices, organisations, workforces, normativities, and knowledge productions are reshaped by autonomous systems in healthcare. The topics to be covered by its speakers include, but are not limited to:
- research and innovation in the fields of healthcare robotics, AI and related technologies
- healthcare and political-economic imperatives driving their advancement and deployment across national health systems
- sociological and human rights ramifications for patients, healthcare professionals, and wider society
- practical, theoretical and methodological advancements needed in medical sociology to study and utilise autonomous systems
This symposium seeks to facilitate not only the sharing of research and innovation in the field of autonomous systems in healthcare, but more importantly fundamental explorations of the sociological, political, economic, and ethical issues pertaining to these systems. The aim is to elucidate subtle, nuanced and contextualised understandings of the processes of adoption and interaction by and between technology, academics, professionals, policy, economics, and patients. It fundamentally attempts to answer questions around the transformation of interpersonal relationships, the degree to which social (e.g. individual and relational autonomy, caring for older adults) and ethical (e.g. privacy, non-discrimination, inclusion, equity of access) values are reflected in their development, and how much humans must care for these intelligent systems before they can care for humans. We anticipate that this opportunity will open a wide range of discussions around the theoretical and methodological opportunities and challenges for medical sociological research in the healthcare systems of the future.
Invited Speakers
Professor Malcolm Fisk
Professor Praminda Caleb-Solly
Senior Lecturer Darren Reed
Assistant Professor Antonia Tzemanaki
Registration
Free registration to attend the symposium is available through Eventbrite.
Abstract Submission
Please check the detailed call, and submit your abstract here by April 17, 2023 May 9, 2023.
Travel Bursaries
We are making available bursaries to support 5 postgraduate students to attend the symposium. Each bursary consists of up to £150 to contribute towards the travel, accommodation and subsistence costs to attend the symposium. Receipts are required for reimbursement and we will not be able to process claims without these.
Please apply here by May 2, 2023 May 9, 2023.
Venue
Business School (South Building B52) – Jubilee Campus (How to Find Us)
Organisers
Paraskevas Vezyridis, Nottingham University Business School
Kyle Harrington, University of Nottingham
Karen Lancaster, University of Nottingham
Contact
For any enquiries, please contact: Karen[dot]Lancaster[at]nottingham[dot]ac[dot]uk
Please use this hashtag #automedsoc23 for relevant posts/updates.
Funding
The Symposium is supported by a Grant from the SHI Foundation: Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness.
CHILLed Chat- Healthcare Research Chatter 