This study analyzes the concept and ethical issues of smart therapy and proposes core values for smart therapy ethics. Smart therapy, which includes Digital Therapeutics (DTx), actively utilizes digital and ICT technologies in healthcare and treatment processes and displays characteristics distinct from traditional medical approaches. Smart therapy evolves in personalized forms, contributing to individual health management.
However, the proliferation of smart therapy raises new ethical concerns. First, the protection and management of personal data generated during treatment emerges as a critical issue. In smart therapy, patients actively participate in their treatment process, creating a structure that assigns responsibility not only to medical professionals but also to the patients themselves. Second, as going on human beings as part of the Internet of Things, there is potential for deepening polarization in healthcare access, raising concerns that advanced smart therapy may only be available to certain social groups.
Third, the technological advancement of smart therapy may extend beyond simple treatment to physical and cognitive enhancement, necessitating ethical discussions.
As the need for smart therapy ethics becomes increasingly apparent, this study proposes fundamental values of smart therapy ethics(3I: Individaulization, impartialness, interpretation) and other fundamental values that each stakeholder should adhere to: developers (3A: Anywhere, Anytime, Anyone), medical professionals (3C: Correspondence, Cooperation, Compassion), and patients (3R: Recognition, Reasonableness, Responsibility).
Through these values, we aim to contribute to finding a direction where smart therapy can minimize ethical problems while continuing medical innovation. Ultimately, smart therapy is not merely technological advancement but a concept connected to the human desire for a healthy life, requiring balanced discussion and policy responses.