The ethics of sensor technology use in clinical research

•Passive monitoring systems, including sensor-based technology is rapidly increasing across the healthcare sector.•Ethical guidance is needed to determine the specific considerations for determining if a study using sensor technology is ethical.•Innovation can drive research knowledge but must be balanced with the ethics of research and human subjects protections. Sensor-based technologies are used today in clinical practice, research, and for monitoring people's health in homes across the United States. Although the increasing growth and complexity of such technologies promises both direct and indirect benefits, significant ethical concerns are raised. We discuss several of these concerns, particularly those that arise in clinical research and outline ethical considerations that pertain to the concept of informed consent, participants’ understanding of risks and benefits and the need for tailored and accessible information that will enable participants to fully understand research implications. Balancing the benefits with the potential risks of advanced information technology will require ethically astute researchers who can address the challenges that might arise while advancing knowledge with innovation that can improve the lives of patients and families.