Designing Ethical Practice in Biosurveillance

Abstract

Biosurveillance entails the collection and analysis of information needed to provide early warning of outbreaks of infectious disease, both naturally occurring and intentionally introduced. Data derived from repositories containing various types of sensitive information may be required for this purpose, including individually identifiable, copyrighted, and proprietary information. The Project Argus Biosurveillance Doctrine was developed to ensure that ethical and legal principles guide the collection and handling of such information. Project Argus does not, however, use individually identifiable information or any material derived from individually identifiable information for any phase of the project. Further, Project Argus is not used for purposes of law enforcement, counterterrorism, or public health surveillance. This chapter details why and how the doctrine was developed and summarizes its guiding principles and key elements.