Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Jan 13, 2023
Date Accepted: Apr 28, 2023
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Implications of Using Digital Technologies in the Management of Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Comparative Study of Japan and South Korea
ABSTRACT
Background:
Technology can assist in providing effective infectious disease management, but it can also become a source of social injustice and inequality. To control the rapidly increasing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections and promote effective vaccine administration, both South Korea and Japan have been using several technology-based systems and mobile applications. However, their different approaches to technology utilization have yielded contrasting social implications.
Objective:
Through analysis, this study aims to discuss whether the active and optimal use of technology for pandemic management can occur without subverting or compromising significant social values, such as privacy and equality. Accordingly, points of consideration and recommendations are provided to enable sustainable utilization of pandemic technology in the future.
Methods:
This study compares the social implications of Japan and South Korea’s contrasting approaches to technology implementation for COVID-19 pandemic management in early 2022.
Results:
Digital technologies have been actively and comprehensively utilized in South Korea, enabling effective COVID-19 management, but have raised serious concerns about privacy and social equality. In Japan, technologies have been more carefully implemented, thereby not causing similar social concerns, but their effectiveness in supporting COVID-19 regulations has been criticized.
Conclusions:
Potential social implications such as equality concerns, a balance of the public interest and individual rights, and legal implications must be carefully assessed in conjunction with effective and optimal infectious disease control to achieve sustainable utilization of digital health technologies for infectious disease management in the future.
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