Program Overview

Digital Health and International Human Rights Law

Overview

The proposed course provides an introduction to international human rights law (IHRL), its interpretation and mechanisms, and analyses its interactions with the use of digital solutions and AI in healthcare.

Content

The course will be structured in three parts:

• In the first part, students will be introduced to international human rights law, exploring its evolution, foundational principles, the nature of State obligations, responsibilities of private actors, and their implications regarding algorithmic accountability in the development and use of digital health solutions.
• The second part will focus on a detailed examination of specific substantive rights, applied in the context of digital health. In particular, the right to private life and data protection, the right to health, and the right to be free from discrimination will be scrutinised in the context of challenges posed by personalised medicine and AI, including algorithmic biases. Cultural rights and acceptability of digital solutions will also be analysed.
• Finally, the third part will discuss the implementation and enforcement of international human rights law.

Keywords

• Digital health
• Artificial intelligence
• Human Rights
• Law
• state obligations
• business and human rights
• Algorithmic Accountability
• Algorithmic biases
• Medical Devices

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, the student must be able to:

• Understand how IHLR may be used as leverage for sustainable digital health solutions
• Identify the rights that may be at stake in the development of digital health solutions
• Reflect on possible shortcomings of the law to address the specific risks of digital health
• Propose solutions to prevent human rights violations

Teaching Methods

• Interactive lecturing
• Supervised group work (case discussions, workshop for poster, poster presentation)

Expected Student Activities

• Attend and engage in class in case studies and discussions, based on some prior readings
• Co-prepare and present a collective work (poster)
• Individual examination

Assessment Methods

Students from both EPFL and UNIL will be assessed individually (mid-term multiple-choice questionnaire) and in-groups (poster preparation and oral presentation) at the end of the course. In addition, students from UNIL FDCA will submit a 3-4 pages written assessment based on a legal question identified by the teacher during the presentation of their poster.

Supervision

• Office hours: No
• Assistants: Yes
• Forum: Yes
• Others: Electronic forum

Resources

Resources will be made available on the course's Moodle page.

Program Details

• Programme: Sciences humaines et sociales
• Bachelor semestre: 6
• Semestre: Printemps
• Nombre de places: 50
• Forme de l'examen: Pendant le semestre (session d'été)
• Matière examinée: Digital Health and International Human Rights Law
• Cours: 2 Heure(s) hebdo x 14 semaines
• Type: obligatoire

UNIL - Autres facultés

• Semestre: Printemps
• Nombre de places: 50
• Forme de l'examen: Pendant le semestre (session d'été)
• Matière examinée: Digital Health and International Human Rights Law
• Cours: 2 Heure(s) hebdo x 14 semaines
• Type: optionnel

Week Reference

| Lu| Ma| Me| Je| Ve
---|---|---|---|---|---
8-9| | | | |
9-10| | | | |
10-11| | | | |
11-12| | | | |
12-13| | | | |
13-14| | | | |
14-15| | | | |
15-16| | | | |
16-17| | | | |
17-18| | | | |
18-19| | | | |
19-20| | | | |
20-21| | | | |
21-22| | | | |

Legends

• Cours
• Exercice, TP
• Projet, Labo, autre

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