My View: Why we need to get over our fear of data

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Guest column by Andrew Aho, Regional Director – Data Platforms, InterSystems

While New Zealand has performed extremely well in limiting the spread of COVID-19, and has begun relaxing restrictions, questions are being asked about contact tracing capabilities, with some New Zealanders expressing impatience with the fact that Australia was first to launch a contact tracing smartphone app.

A survey from Horizon Research found 73 per cent of New Zealanders support the idea of using smartphone data for COVID-19 contact tracing. Despite this, widespread privacy concerns raise serious doubts that any voluntary app will see the sort of take-up rate necessary to speed up efforts to identify people at risk of infection.

Given the high stakes involved with the coronavirus pandemic and the urgent need to relax restrictions when it’s safe, is it finally time for us to get over our fear of data?

To do so would be a major departure from recent history. The world has begun to view ‘data’ with caution and fear: how it’s shared, how people access it, how it’s used, and how it’s stored and protected are among the chief concerns. Given the negative headlines around data in recent years, that fear isn’t without some merit.

Data and privacy breaches fuel outrage

Until recently, we were largely OK with providing data to companies or organisations in exchange for a free service such as a social media account or an email service. However, many were unaware as to the amount of data organisations had access to and how it was being used – until a number of breaches lifted the veil.

In 2016 it was revealed that the email addresses and passwords of around 165 million LinkedIn users had been exposed. Soon after, in March 2017, the personally identifying data of nearly 150 million people was stolen from Equifax, one of the credit reporting agencies that assess the financial health of US citizens.

The final straw for many was when Cambridge Analytica gained access to private information on more than 50 million Facebook users, offering tools that could identify the personalities of American voters to influence their behaviour to political parties and movements. The outrage was immediate and led to fines for Facebook and the quick, voluntary disbandment of Cambridge Analytica.

The door had seemingly closed on data.

Coronavirus crisis restores trust in data

As a novel coronavirus emerged and slowly began to spread outwards across the globe, we began to rely on the vast reams of data being generated to make sense of what it was, where it came from, how it spread and where it was going.

Researchers were able to view available data to retrace the origins of patient zero and how the virus came to infect humans. Healthcare organisations in China began to understand the infection rates and length – and they quickly realised how deadly and easily transmittable the virus was.

Soon after, the coronavirus was labelled a pandemic and renamed COVID-19.

We know much of the data off by heart these days: the infection lasts about 14 days, hence the need to self-isolate for at least that long if infected or if we’ve been in contact with an infected person. It’s at least six times deadlier than the common flu. Stay 1.5 metres apart from the next person. Don’t gather in groups of more than two. Wash your hands for 20 minutes.

Almost minute by minute we can find key data such as confirmed infections, fatalities and recoveries in every country. We’ve rejiggered our way of life and economy to ‘flatten the curve’ so that we lower the infection rate, save lives and ease the burden on our healthcare system.

Data is our best weapon against COVID-19

We’ve come to rely on data as our best weapon against this pandemic until such time as a vaccine is created. Much of this is publicly available data and we’re now used to it being shared, collated, analysed and stored.

Actionable insights are quickly gleaned from the influx of data through the use of database management tools, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning which analyse data as quickly as possible to help leading health organisations and governments update their forecasts and mitigation strategies.

It’s important that the checks and balances – such as the GDPR in Europe and the new Privacy Bill currently being considered by the New Zealand Parliament – are in place so organisations are compelled to protect data from the wrong hands, or from misuse.

But right now, we need to get over our fear of data. When we need quick actions during a crisis, data has proven to be among the most effective tools we have to provide insight and develop strategies to mitigate the threats we face.

An ideal balance between privacy and access needs to be struck to ensure we can mitigate crises not just as they emerge, but to better prepare us ahead of them.

Andrew Aho is Regional Director – Data Platforms for InterSystems

If you want to contact eHealthNews.nz regarding this View, please email the editor Rebecca McBeth.

Read more Views/CIO Interviews:

Scott Arrol: Industry View: NZ urgently needs digital health tech investment

Shayne Hunter: MoH View: ICT data and digital vital to stopping spread of Covid-19

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