Research has shown that some of these tools are better than others in reducing the players’ risks.

There’s still only limited research as to the extent to which consumers use these tools online however.

A recent study from Australia studied 564 participants between the ages of 19 and 83 on 6 Australian online gambling sites. All the participants had gambled online within the last 6 months. The researchers asked whether participants set a budget for themselves and the strategies they used to manage them.

The researchers asked about three different tools: activity statements, deposit limits, and time-outs. Participants then responded as to how satisfied they were with each tool, the reasons for using them, and whether it impacted their behaviour.

To assess the severity of gambling amongst the participants the
researchers used the matter Problem Severity Index. Those that scored highly were asked what kind of gambling contributed to their gambling problems. They were considered to have moderate-risk or problem gambling.

Most of the participants (60.5%) knew about all three consumer protection tools. Results showed that around half the participants set budgets for their online gambling. The majority of the participants who set a limit stayed within the number they budgeted. Most users of activity statements didn’t think they had an effect on their gambling.

Only 20% thought that activity statements had made a change.
Many users seemed to find deposit limits and time-outs did help with their gambling. They cited reasons such as feeling in greater control of their gambling, and spending less money and time on gambling.

Low-risk gamblers were the most likely to set budgets for online gambling. People who were moderate risk gamblers preferred deposit limits and time outs than non-problem gamblers.

Younger participants and those at higher risk used more consumer protection tools.

This research and other studies can inform strategies to minimise harm and promote the use of protection tools for gamblers. Service providers and gambling institutions could use the information gained from the study to develop further programs to help user gamble safely. Future research, for example, could examine the effectiveness of the three consumer protection tools for other groups of gamblers not looked at within this particular study.

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Data sharing across sectors has been feasible for a period of time now. It’s not prohibited by technical issues but instead by other obstacles such as ethical, social, and legal issues.

Healthcare data sharing needs an infrastructure to support it.

That infrastructure should provide functionality, transparency, and data security. All the stakeholders must commit to making it work.

One of the greatest obstacles to sharing data can be a lack of trust. Other barriers include the cost of the data and how it ends up used.

During the pandemic some providers have started sharing their data on COVID-19. The HCA healthcare system in Nashville, Tennessee has collected data on its COVID patients since March 1, 2020.

They were approached by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and asked if they wanted to collaborate on a long term basis. The aim was to provide information that could be be used to provide a greater understanding of the nature of COVID-19.

HCA were able to offer access to their data to help build on AHRQ´s existing knowledge. Due to the urgency of the pandemic, trust is being built quicker among HCA and other such external research organizations. The potential of adding other health systems to contribute their data is also being actively looked into.

Another large health data sharing project is the N3C. Sponsored by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, the goal of this group is to gather data on people that have COVID. Looking at their medical information dating back from 2018 should help them get a better understanding of the virus.

Currently 197 organizations are using the data.

It includes 1.2 million COVID patients’ electronic health records, in addition to control patients who haven’t had COVID. The data provides a wide range of data covering all sectors of the population, in cities and more rural areas as well as ethnicity, and race. Around 2,000 people have contributed to the database. The pandemic has been terrible but it’s also shown how people and organisations can work together for a common good.

The database raises issues with regards to who can use that data however. The database includes healthcare data from a wide range of sources. If an organisation is looking at the data for a specific purpose can they look at other parts of the data which isn’t necessarily relevant to their needs?

Patient privacy is another issue which almost always raises its head when it comes to discussions like these.

Many organisations have already put out guidelines and codes of conduct for using data and the implications and procedures are being looked at.

Whilst there are still problems to iron out, the US has come a long way with health data in a relatively short time. 5 or 6 years ago less than 50% of the country had functional electronic health records. These days that number significantly higher. There is still a long way to go with the main challenge being the fragmentation of the industry.

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There is evidence of coordination across different agencies but it is not good enough to meet the needs of those who need it who are outside of the loop.

A report has recommended the creation of a “national climate information system”. This will be conducted with federal leadership, data and quality assurance guidelines.

The Democrats put forward a similar recommendation last Summer to establish a central portal of climate risk information. Republicans were unhappy about creating new federal infrastructure however.

It is not intended to be just further bureaucracy however and will be invaluable for its intended users.

A variety of federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, academic centers and personal sector institutions can provide climate-related information. That variety may however also create confusion about which data is acceptable in any given situation.

It is currently very confusing for people to get the information from so many different sources. It’s therefore important that there is coordination across federal agencies so everyone receives the identical information.

It should serve as a point of contact to direct people to the information they need.

Microsoft and the ODI have also been working to create open, trustworthy data sharing and collaboration. Together they have conducted research into climate change to spot priority areas for increased access via data through data collaborations.

They are working with experts to analyse the data ecosystem. They aim to review how data is shared and used. Also existing collaborations and the challenges and opportunities that increasing access to data in these areas could lead on to.

A sustainable recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic is important in addressing climate change.

Governments around the world are looking at various measures to ensure transformation to a net-zero emissions economy.

The plan is to bring together datasets on the economy, society and work, population and health, agriculture, transport and tourism, and energy. This should bring significant benefits to the investment and policy decisions needed for recovery.

Improving energy efficiency for buildings which account for a third of all global energy emissions is obviously a huge task. Data sharing on climate change with regards to data on building characteristics and energy could result in significant improvements in their energy consumption.

Improving water resource management

The world’s water supplies are increasingly in danger from climate change. This makes collaboration regarding the management of water as a shared resource even more imperative. Collaborative approaches will ensure that water is available for both people and the world’s ecosystems.

Reducing the climate impact of urban transportation

Cities around the world are trying to develop solutions to transition towards more climate-friendly transport systems. Data sharing models could accelerate the progress of cities towards achieving the Paris Agreement goals.

Reducing waste

11 billion metric tonnes of solid waste generated per year creates pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Ensuring that high-quality data is available will help to reduce waste and corresponding emissions.

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The fifth-generation technology standard for broadband cellular networks is imminent. Security for supply chains, information-sharing strategies with private sector companies and approved acquisition standards will be key to a successful roll out.

The Federal Mobility Group (FMG) includes a number of federal agencies and reports to the Federal CIO Council. It meets every couple of weeks to debate the challenges and discuss best practices.

They have made concerted efforts to consolidate the data available and make it more accessible to agencies.

The data used by the FMC and other agencies will help them make key decisions.

The ultimate aim of the information-sharing and collaboration practices is to make sure 5G rollout is as streamlined as possible.

In other areas of industry other organisations have teamed up to share their data and skills. Honda and Verizon are researching how 5G and mobile edge computing (MEC) could improve safety for vehicles both connected and autonomous.

They are working with the University of Michigan to explore safety scenarios to improve threat detection and avoid accidents.

The project’s goal is to research how 5G and mobile edge computing (MEC) can ensure fast and reliable communication between road infrastructure, vehicles and pedestrians to reduce accidents and save lives.

Super-fast, reliable and low-latency data transmission is crucial for connected vehicle safety according to the two companies involved.

Verizon claims its 5G and MEC platforms are able to bring the power of the cloud closer to the vehicle.

This helps to lower latency, offer massive bandwidth and improve communications with other cars, traffic lights, pedestrians and emergency vehicles.

Honda has been developing a technology to reduce the likelihood of collisions since 2017. “Safe Swarm” enables vehicles to communicate with other road users. Key information like location, speed, and vehicle sensor data is shared.

The implementation of 5G reduces the need for expensive and complex AI capabilities in every car.

Using their software platforms, Honda and Verizon are exploring three different safety scenarios:

An approaching driver cannot see a pedestrian crossing a street at an intersection as a result of a building obstructing the view. Smart cameras at the intersection relay information to MEC using the 5G network. The software identifies the scenario and sends the driver a warning message.

A driver can´t see or hear an approaching emergency vehicle.

The software receives a message from the emergency vehicle and sends a warning message to nearby vehicles.

A vehicle fails to stop at a red light signal.

Using data from the smart cameras the software sends a red-light-runner visual warning message to other vehicles approaching the intersection.

Car accidents killed over forty thousand people in 2020. 94% of those were caused by human error. New technologies such as 5G and MEC can help drivers react quicker helping to stop collisions and save lives

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