1,720,980 research outputs found
Frauds in scientific research and how to possibly overcome them
Full text linkFrauds and misconduct have been common in the history of science. Recent events connected to the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted how the risks and consequences of this are no longer acceptable. Two papers, addressing the treatment of COVID-19, have been published in two of the most prestigious medical journals; the authors declared to have analysed electronic health records from a private corporation, which apparently collected data of tens of thousands of patients, coming from hundreds of hospitals. Both papers have been retracted a few weeks later. When such events happen, the confidence of the population in scientific research is likely to be weakened. This paper highlights how the current system endangers the reliability of scientific research, and the very foundations of the trust system on which modern healthcare is based. Having shed light on the dangers of a system without appropriate monitoring, the proposed analysis suggests to strengthen the existing journal policies and improve the research process using new technologies supporting control activities by public authorities. Among these solutions, we mention the promising aspects of the blockchain technology which seems a promising solution to avoid the repetition of the mistakes linked to the recent and past history of research
Transferring Health Big Data within the European Legal Framework: What Role for National Healthcare Services?
No full textThe main objective of this article is to describe the legal principles governing the selection by European public authorities, such as National Health Services (NHS) of third parties, when entering into agreements for the transfer of health data. According to Directive 2003/98/EC, and in light of the provisions of the Treaties of the European Union, the choice as to how a public authority makes its data available to third parties needs to be transparent, non-discriminatory and may not in any case benefit a specific company at the expense of others. For this reason, we maintain that a hypothetical agreement by which a public authority grants exclusive access to a large amount of health data to a private company selected with non-transparent criteria appears highly questionable. We advocate that the NHS should adopt more appropriate data policies aimed at promoting the sustainability of the NHS, following the legal framework analysed in this article
A step-by-step researcher's guide to the use of an AI-based transformer in epidemiology: an exploratory analysis of ChatGPT using the STROBE checklist for observational studies
Full text linkObjective: This study aims at investigating how AI-based transformers can support researchers in designing and conducting an epidemiological study. To accomplish this, we used ChatGPT to reformulate the STROBE recommendations into a list of questions to be answered by the transformer itself. We then qualitatively evaluated the coherence and relevance of the transformer’s outputs. Study design: Descriptive study. Methods: We first chose a study to be used as a basis for the simulation. We then used ChatGPT to transform each STROBE checklist’s item into specific prompts. Each answer to the respective prompt was evaluated by independent researchers in terms of coherence and relevance. Results: The mean scores assigned to each prompt were heterogeneous. On average, for the coherence domain, the overall mean score was 3.6 out of 5.0, and for relevance it was 3.3 out of 5.0. The lowest scores were assigned to items belonging to the Methods section of the checklist. Conclusions: ChatGPT can be considered as a valuable support for researchers in conducting an epidemiological study, following internationally recognized guidelines and standards. It is crucial for the users to have knowledge on the subject and a critical mindset when evaluating the outputs. The potential benefits of AI in scientific research and publishing are undeniable, but it is crucial to address the risks, and the ethical and legal consequences associated with its use
Adoption of Digital Technologies in Health Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Systematic Review of Early Scientific Literature
Full text linkBACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic is favoring the digital transition in many industries and in the society as a whole. Healthcare responded to the first phase of the pandemic through the rapid adoption of digital solutions and advanced technology tools.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to describe which digital solutions have been reported in the early scientific literature to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on individuals and health systems.
METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of COVID-19 early literature (from January 1, 2020 to April 30, 2020) searching MEDLINE and medRxiv with terms considered adequate to find relevant literature on the use of digital technologies in response to the pandemic. We extracted study characteristics such as paper title, journal, publication date, and categorized the retrieved papers by type of technology, and patient needs addressed. We built a scoring rubric by cross-classifying the patient needs with the type of technology. We also extracted information and classified each technology reported by the selected articles according to healthcare system targets, grade of innovation, and scalability to other geographical areas.
RESULTS: The search identified 269 articles, of which 124 full-text articles were assessed and included in the review after screening. Of selected articles, most of them addressed the use of digital technologies for diagnosis, surveillance and prevention. We report that digital solutions and innovative technologies have mainly been proposed for the diagnosis of COVID-19. In particular, within the reviewed articles we identified numerous suggestions on the use of artificial-intelligence-powered tools for the diagnosis and screening of COVID-19. Digital technologies are useful also for prevention and surveillance measures, for example through contact-tracing apps or monitoring of internet searches and social media usage. Fewer scientific contributions address the use of digital technologies for lifestyle empowerment or patient engagement.
CONCLUSIONS: In the field of diagnosis, digital solutions that integrate with the traditional methods, such as AI-based diagnostic algorithms based both on imaging and/or clinical data, seem promising. As for surveillance, digital apps have already proven their effectiveness, but problems related to privacy and usability remain. For other patient needs, several solutions have been proposed using, for example, telemedicine or telehealth tools. These have long been available, but perhaps this historical moment could actually favor their definitive large-scale adoption. It is worth taking advantage of the push given by the crisis and important to keep track of the digital solutions proposed today to implement tomorrow's best practices and models of care, and to adopt at least some of the solutions proposed in the scientific literature, especially in those national health systems which in recent years proved to be particularly resistant to the digital transition.CLINICALTRIAL
Government in the digital era: can we do more with less?
Full text linkThe article deals with the role of interoperability in the process of digitizing public administrations. After a brief illustration of the advantages that the introduction of information and communications technology (ICT) tools can bring also in the public sector, the author assesses in what terms the technical concept of interoperability can be acquired in the legal categories of administrative law. To do this, a brief reconstruction of the technical notion of interoperability is first offered and then the role of interoperability in defining the ICT strategies of administrations is then evaluated. Taking advantage of the example offered by the Microsoft v. Commission case, the author investigates what consequences there may be when IT systems are not interoperable to conclude then by exposing the role of the administrative cooperation principle in choosing ITC solutions for PA
Decisione amministrativa e intelligenza artificiale
Full text linkL'articolo analizza come l'intelligenza artificiale (AI) impatta sulla decisione amministrativa, in particolare in termini di imputabilità della scelta e della sua motivazione. L'analisi prende innanzitutto in considerazione le diverse tipologie di AI oggi disponibili, distinguendo quelle basate su logiche condizionali e quelle basate su tecniche di machine learning e deep learning. Il lavoro prosegue poi valutando, separatamente per ciascuno, come si configura l'imputabilità e la motivazione della decisione adottata da AI. Alla luce di tale analisi, l'articolo valuta come l'art. 22 del Regolamento 2016/679/UE (GDPR) può limitare l'uso dei sistemi di AI nel settore pubblico. L'autore si sofferma poi sulla necessità o meno di una specifica norma di consentire l'utilizzo dei sistemi di AI da parte delle pubbliche amministrazioni. Nelle conclusioni, l'Autore suggerisce infine come l'utilizzo di queste tecnologie potrebbe essere implementato per renderlo più accettabile da parte dei cittadini.The article analyzes how artificial intelligence (AI) impacts the administrative decision, in particular in terms of the imputability of the choice and its motivation. The analysis first takes into consideration the different types of AI available today, distinguishing those based on conditional logic and those based on machine learning and deep learning techniques. The paper then continues by assessing, separately for each, how the imputability and motivation of the decision adopted by AI can be configured. In light of this analysis, the article evaluates how art. 22 of Regulation 2016/679/EU (GDPR) may limit the use of AI systems in the public sector. The author then focuses on whether or not a specific rule must allow to use of AI systems by public administrations. In the conclusions, the Author finally suggests how the use of these technologies could be implemented to make it more acceptable by citizens
Elezione del domicilio digitale per la ricezione di notifiche di atti giudiziari: dubbi in relazione alla diversa disciplina dettata per i privati e per le pubbliche amministrazioni
Full text linkL’articolo affronta il tema dell’individuazione dell’indirizzo PEC valido ai fini della notifica degli atti giudiziari, con particolare attenzione agli strumenti all’uopo previsti dall’ordinamento. L’analisi prende le mosse dall’analisi della casistica dalla quale sono emerse le difficoltà nell’individuazione del corretto indirizzo PEC per la notifica di atti giudiziari alle pubbliche amministrazioni. Dopo una breve esposizione delle conseguenze processuali derivanti da tale errore nella notifica, l’Autore espone la normativa che disciplina l’individuazione dell’indirizzo di PEC valido ai fini della notifica, evidenziando anche l’iter legislativo che ha portato all’attuale assetto e la ratio dello stesso. L’analisi prosegue quindi valutando le differenze nella disciplina relativa agli indirizzi delle pubbliche amministrazioni rispetto ai privati, valutando la giustificabilità delle diversità riscontrate. Alla luce di tali risultanze, l’Autore propone in conclusione il superamento del ReGIndE, anche in ragione dell’attuale perdurante stato di incompletezza dello stesso.The article deals with the issue of the identification of the valid certified email addresses for notifying judicial documents, with particular attention to existing instruments. The analysis starts from the analysis of the case law from which the difficulties in identifying the correct address for the notification of judicial documents to public administrations have emerged. After a brief description of the procedural consequences deriving from this error in the notification, the Author sets out the regulations governing the identification of the certified email addresses valid for notification purposes, also highlighting the legislative process that led to the current structure. The differences in the regulations concerning the addresses of public administrations with respect to private parties are then evaluated, assessing the justification of the differences found. In light of these findings, the Author proposes in conclusion the abolition of the ReGIndE, also in light of its incompleteness
Open Data e partecipazione democratica
Full text linkL’articolo tratta delle modalità attraverso cui può realizzarsi una nuova forma di partecipazione all’esercizio delle funzioni amministrative grazie agli strumenti offerti dalle tecnologie dell’informazione e della comunicazione. In tale prospettiva l’articolo valuta il portato normativo della «partecipazione democratica elettronica» di cui all’art. 9 del Codice dell’amministrazione digitale in relazione alla disciplina degli open data ed alla luce della rilevanza che i dati hanno assunto nell’ambito dell’istruttoria procedimentale. Rispetto alla partecipazione di cui alla l. 241/1990, l’Autore suggerisce che la «partecipazione democratica elettronica» possa rappresentare uno strumento per la co-creazione e l’arricchimento del patrimonio informativo delle pubbliche amministrazioni.This paper deals with the ways in which a new form of participation within the exercise of administrative functions can be achieved thanks to the tools offered by information and communication technologies. In this perspective, this paper assesses the normative scope of the «electronic democratic participation» referred to in art. 9 of the Digital Administration Code, as well as in relation to the regulation of open data and in light of the relevance that the data have assumed in the context of administrative procedures. With respect to the participation referred to in l. 241/1990, the Author suggests that the «electronic democratic participation» can be a tool for the co-creation and enrichment of the databases of public administrations
Diritto all’oblio e dovere di provvedere delle pubbliche amministrazioni
Full text linkL’articolo esamina quali conseguenze abbia per la pubblica amministrazione la presentazione di una domanda di cancellazione dei dati presentata ai sensi dell’articolo 17 del Regolamento 2016/679/UE (Regolamento) in relazione a fattispecie in cui il trattamento dei dati personali avviene sulla base dell’articolo 6, paragrafo 1, lett. e) del Regolamento. Dopo aver analizzato le condizioni di applicabilità del Regolamento a dette fattispecie, l’Autore esamina il rapporto giuridico che ne deriva, per concludere che si ha in questi casi un obbligo di provvedere ai sensi dell’articolo 2, comma 1, della legge 241/1990.The article examines the consequences for the public administration of a request for deletion of data submitted pursuant to article 17 of Regulation 2016/679/EU (GDPR) in relation to cases in which the processing of personal data takes place on the legal basis provided by article 6, paragraph 1, lett. e) of the GDPR. After analyzing the conditions of applicability of the GDPR to these cases, the Author examines the legal relationship that derives from it, to conclude that in these cases there is an obligation to adopt a motivated decision pursuant to Article 2, paragraph 1, of Law 241/1990
Accesso alla giustizia e processo amministrativo: la riduzione della distanza geografica e dei tempi grazie alla digitalizzazione
No full textIl contributo affronta il tema dell’accesso alla giustizia, nella prospettiva del Gold 16 dei sustainable development goals delle Nazioni Unite. Dopo una breve disamina dell’organizzazione territoriale della giustizia amministrativa, l’autore si concentra sulle innovazioni del processo amministrativo telematico per valutare in che misura queste abbiano agevolato l’accesso alla giustizia. Il contributo valuta quindi quali limiti ancora sussistano nel processo amministrativo telematico nella prospettiva della riduzione delle distanze e, sulla base di tali considerazioni, avanza alcune proposte per mitigare il problema della eccessiva durata dei processi.The contribution addresses the issue of access to justice, in the perspective of the sustainable development goal 16 of the United Nations. After a brief analysis of the territorial organization of Italian administrative justice, the author focuses on the innovations of the electronic administrative trial to assess to what extent it has facilitated access to justice. The contribution therefore evaluates what limits still exist in the electronic administrative trial in the perspective of reducing distances and, on the basis of these considerations, makes some proposals to mitigate the problem of excessive length of the trials
- …
