CS373 - Open Source Software Scenario 4
Scenario 4: Healthcare Data Analytics Platform
Context: A medical software company has developed a platform that processes large amounts of patient health data (e.g., EHRs, imaging, lab results) to provide predictive analytics for hospitals. The software uses proprietary algorithms for risk prediction (e.g., readmission risk, sepsis likelihood). It is currently licensed to hospitals at a premium price.
Discussion Prompts:
- Should tools that influence patient health always be open for inspection?
- How does open source intersect with regulatory and ethical responsibility in medicine?
- Could the company adopt a “transparent algorithms, proprietary platform” model?