The research outlined on this website is carried out as part of a project conducted by Birmingham Law School, University of Birmingham. This research is funded by the Wellcome Trust and has been approved by the University of Birmingham Research Ethics Committee, approval number ERN_18-1426.
‘Everyday cyborgs’ is a term that can be used to describe people with attached and implanted medical devices. This includes people with a wide range of devices; for example, joint replacements, pacemakers, insulin pumps, and limb prostheses. Some devices use smart technologies such as computer software and Wi-Fi. They can collect, analyse, and transmit data. However, their use creates some difficulties for the law. This project addresses a range of questions that remain unanswered about how the law ought to accommodate such devices. These questions include:
- Should internally implanted devices be viewed as part of the person or as mere objects (or something else)?
- Should damage to a prosthetic limb that is connected to a person’s nervous system (neuro-prostheses) be seen as personal injury or damage to property?
- Who ought to control/own the software run, and data generated, by implanted medical devices?
- How should the law deal with risks around unauthorised third-party access to devices (sometimes known as ‘hacking’)?
In this research we aim to take account of the voices of persons with attached and implanted medical devices, as well as those of different stakeholders such as policy-makers, clinicians, regulators, developers, and manufacturers. Those voices will play a key role in helping to answer some of the questions this project is asking.
If you self-identify as a person with an attached or implanted medical device or are an interested stakeholder, please take a look around this website (menu section above). If you think you could help to inform this research, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We look forward to hearing from you.
Taking part in our research
Please note that you will not need to take part in all research activities outlined below. The research team will discuss with you which research activity is a good fit for you.
Please note that only persons aged 18 and over can take part in this research.
Narrative Interviews
A narrative interview means that the researcher will ask you to tell them your story in relation to being a person with an attached or implanted medical device. There is no pre-set agenda for the meeting and you should tell us about what you think is important and what you are comfortable sharing.
For narrative interviews we are looking to speak with people who self-identify as persons with attached or implanted medical device.
Download the participant information here.
Semi-structured Interviews
A semi-structured interview means that the researcher will ask you specific questions about your life experiences, views, and opinions in relation to attached or implanted medical devices.
For semi-structured interviews we are looking to speak with people who self-identify as persons with attached or implanted medical device, as well as relevant stakeholders. Relevant stakeholders include (but are not necessarily limited to) clinicians involved in the use of medical devices, policy-makers, persons with experience working at/with regulatory agencies, charity and advocacy organisations, technology developers, and device manufacturers.
Download the participant information sheet for everyday cyborgs here.
Download the participant information sheet for stakeholders here.
Focus Groups
A focus group is a group discussion involving a small number of people (5-7) with similar experiences to yours.
For our focus groups we are looking to speak with people who self-identify as persons with attached or implanted medical device.
Download the participant information sheet here.
Oral Histories
An oral history can take many forms, but is essentially an interview intended to learn information about the past or a person’s perceived changes over time.
In particular we are looking to speak with people with knowledge of the regulatory, policy, and research worlds of medical device production.
Download the participant information sheet here.
Can I have more information about all of this?
Of course, if you wish to take part or need more information, please contact us at the following email address: everydaycyborgs@contacts.bham.ac.uk