Stories

The following cases are fictitious cases made up by the META team. Whenever they are inspired by our own or others’ real-life experiences or are inspired e.g. by news articles, we explain these sources. The cases are not meant to reflect reality in detail, as this is changing by the day. Rather, these stories try to circle around ethically relevant topics in an accessible way. Our aim is to motivate discussions and critical thinking about mHealth. We especially hope that they can provide useful material for teaching in ethics of mHealth.

Nadine

The maze of health concerns, gendered bodily norms and social pressure Nadine is a single mother of three with an insecure and underpaid job. She sometimes must work during evenings, which raises problems of childcare, especially as their father is not contributing to care work. She also has parents in need of care whom she […]

Joseph

Expertise and trust Joseph is an avid runner. He used to play soccer, until he tore his meniscus. He stopped playing, although he continued to visit his club on the weekends to watch the game and maybe drink a beer or two. Not surprisingly, he gained a lot of weight in a short time, until […]

Penelope

Making the world a better place as an app developer Penelope is an app developer with an idea that could make the world better. However, for now, the exact details must remain a developer’s secret. Her idea involves using biodata to improve users’ general health and well-being and to help prevent the most common causes […]

Suzie

Intimacy and trust

Suzie is a 27-year old administrative employee of a brewing company. She wants to get pregnant someday, but not now. Suzie is in a relationship with Ian, a 24-year old physiotherapist. They are now discussing moving in together, although it is hard to find a suitable apartment.

Alex

Addicted to an app?

Alex is a highly qualified consultant in a multinational company that specialises in digitalisation and biotech. He is approaching the peak of his career, and is eager to fully take advantage of the opportunities that he is getting. Alex is single.

Ayaan

Invasiveness of mHealth technology

Ayaan is a manager at a large department store. She and her husband, Tim, have two young children. Tim takes care mostly of the household, but it is a busy life for Ayaan, who also wants to have time to practice sports (swimming and kickboxing) and meet with her friends regularly.

Sofia

Informed consent

Sofia is suspicious of ‘free’ software. Assuming that paid-for services will probably respect her privacy better, she has recently subscribed to an app called GreyWay (slogan: „Stay fit all the way, from birth until you’re grey“), which promises to use personal health and lifestyle data to provide both general and customized health advice.

Dietmar

Equal access to mHealth technology?

Dietmar is a retired widower. He used to work in construction, but was sent into early retirement due to chronic back injuries. He does not have a lot of savings, so he mostly lives from a state pension.

Clarissa

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Responsibility for health

Clarissa, 24, is highly motivated. She has just completed her daily virtual training program with the help of her fitness app.

Tobi

Data selection, algorithmic bias and user vulnerability

Tobi is a 37 year old self-trained musician and tech enthusiast. As a child, he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, when tests showed that his body was unable to produce enough insulin to regulate his blood glucose levels. Tobi lives a busy life and does not want his condition to slow him down.