Body donation and digital technology: the ethical issues

Abstract

Digital technology influences many different areas of society, including body donation and the use of bodies donated to science. It affects the manner in which information arising from bodies donated to science can be generated, gathered andutilised. This includes information arising from medical imaging procedures, photographs, and genomic investigation.However many issues remain unclear in relation to this transaction, including the appropriate level of informed consent, family involvement in decision-making and information sharing, and how commercialisation should be addressed. Highlightingthese issues shows there is a distinct lack of empirical evidence with which to guide appropriate use of digital informationarising from bodies donated to science, and caution is suggested in regard to the acquisition, distribution, and possible commercialisation of such data