Older People's Perception of the Use of Personal Data By Private Health Services.

The paper addresses the perception and meaning attributed by the elderly to the accumulation and use of their personal data by private health care providers in Uruguay, the need for this use for the benefit of their welfare and the treatment and safeguarding given to them for their protection. Research results are presented (Reilly & Rivoir, 2023) that the accelerated process of digitalization and digitization of health services leaves the elderly facing the possibility of deepening inequalities.

The development of digital competencies is essential for older people to avoid their digital exclusion in a context of progressive digitization of society and services (Llorente et alt, 2015; Lüders et alt, 2017) especially considering the specific characteristics of the digital divide in this sector (Hunsaker & Hargittai, 2018) Due to the Covid19 pandemic and the increasing use of platforms, these issues became more important.

The paper is based on a case study in Uruguay that sought to learn about personal data literacy processes to identify the needs of older people in the use of data and characterize their knowledge about the implications of sharing personal data through digital platforms. Cumulative digital literacy workshops were conducted through the Zoom platform and discussion forums via WhatsApp.

We conclude the existence of limitations on the freedom to choose whether or not to provide their data versus the services provided in return. On the other hand, visualizing that the development of digital capabilities of the elderly improves the possibilities to manage their personal data within the health systems and promote citizenship and their rights.