The DPO Office contributes its expertise in data protection at the 5th International Congress of the Ibero-American Network International Association of Bioethics

Miriam Méndez, Head of Research and Innovation at the Health Data Protection Officer’s Office of the TIC Salut and Social Foundation, took part in the 5th International Congress of the Ibero-American Network International Association of Bioethics (IAB).

The event was held at the Aula Magna of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Clínic Campus, University of Barcelona, where she participated in the panel discussion “Unresolved bioethical issues in the evaluation of research and innovation in health based on artificial intelligence, genetic technologies and personal data”.

The debate focused on a key aspect for advancing digital innovation in healthcare: how pilot projects using technological tools that process health data should be classified.

Several scenarios were discussed: treating them as research projects involving data processing, as activities with healthcare purposes, or as a hybrid category between research and healthcare practice.

Each classification carries different regulatory implications in terms of data protection and ethical compliance.

Embedding data protection from the design phase to strengthen technological robustness and scalability

In her presentation, Méndez explained that the development of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions follows several stages: the design and training phase, validation and testing in controlled environments, and finally deployment or scaling in real healthcare settings.

At each stage, ethical requirements, legal obligations and mechanisms to ensure privacy and responsible data use can vary considerably.

Therefore, it is essential to integrate data protection principles and ethical safeguards from the outset of each project, not only to ensure regulatory compliance but also to optimise resources, reduce costs and guarantee that the final technological product is robust, reliable and scalable within the healthcare ecosystem.

The participation of the Health Data Protection Officer’s Office in this congress exemplifies Catalonia’s commitment, as a European region, to fostering innovative processes aligned with the current complex European regulatory framework.

Technologies that handle sensitive data while incorporating applicable regulations from the beginning provide greater assurance of efficiency, security and scalability, strengthening trust among healthcare systems and citizens alike.