Health Research Practices in a Digital Context

1st Edition

by Laurent Morillon (Editor)

Health, affirmed as one of the fundamental rights of every human being by the World Health Organization, is at the center of major political, societal, economic, financial, legal, organizational and technological issues. Its developments are indeed occupying a significant place in public debate and media discourse. The French health ecosystem – characterized, among others, by its public status and social security system – is influenced by different environments and actors that modify representations and guide the conduct of activities and practices. For example, the public authorities impose different processes of management, rationalization, standardization or regulation of the healthcare system in order to control (intend to reduce) costs. At the same time, more than ever before, “users” demand customized, reliable and rapid care, and transparency of information. The trend towards “empowerment” invites them to become actors in their own health, both in the prevention and treatment of illness. What is then projected is an idealized figure of a patient – whose experience is now recognized as an expertise – who optimizes his or her disease “trajectory” [STR 92] and care “path” by becoming an “agile” and responsible partner, capable of evaluating the quality of care.