The Panopticon: How Surveillance Shapes Healthcare Today

Interior view of a circular prison facility featuring a central observation tower and multiple cells arranged around the perimeter, illuminated by bright lights. — PANOPTICON The Panopticonism is a machine (computer) for dissociating the see/being seen dyad: in the peripheric ring, one is totally seen, without ever seeing; in the central tower, one sees everything without ever being seen.”

from youarewithinthenorms.com

NORMAN J CLEMENT RPH., DDS, NORMAN L. CLEMENT PHARM-TECH, MALACHI F. MACKANDAL PHARMD, BELINDA BROWN-PARKER, IN THE SPIRIT OF JOSEPH SOLVO ESQ., INC., SPIRIT OF REV. IN THE SPIRIT OF WALTER R. CLEMENT BS., MS, MBA. HARVEY JENKINS, MD, PH.D., IN THE SPIRIT OF C.T. VIVIAN, JELANI ZIMBABWE CLEMENT, BS., M.B.A., IN THE SPIRIT OF THE HON. PATRICE LUMUMBA, IN THE SPIRIT OF ERLIN CLEMENT SR., EVELYN J. CLEMENT, WALTER F. WRENN III., MD., JULIE KILLINGSWORTH, RENEE BLARE, RPH, DR. TERENCE SASAKI, MD LESLY POMPY MD., CHRISTOPHER RUSSO, MD., NANCY SEEFELDT, WILLIE GUINYARD BS., JOSEPH WEBSTER MD., MBA, BEVERLY C. PRINCE MD., FACS., NEIL ARNAND, MD., RICHARD KAUL, MD., IN THE SPIRIT OF LEROY BAYLOR, JAY K. JOSHI MD., MBA, AISHA GARDNER, ADRIENNE EDMUNDSON, ESTER HYATT PH.D., WALTER L. SMITH BS., IN THE SPIRIT OF BRAHM FISHER ESQ., MICHELE ALEXANDER MD., CUDJOE WILDING BS, MARTIN NJOKU, BS., RPH., IN THE SPIRIT OF DEBRA LYNN SHEPHERD, BERES E. MUSCHETT, STRATEGIC ADVISORS

THE PANOPTICON

“The Invisible Watchman: How the Panopticon Shapes Modern America.”

This article examines the concept of the Panopticon, a surveillance model devised initially by Jeremy Bentham in the 18th century for prisons, which allowed a single observer to monitor many without being seen. Michel Foucault’s 1975 book, Discipline & Punish: The Birth of the Prison, is heavily referenced, expanding Bentham’s architectural design into a broader theory of “panopticism,” where individuals internalize authority’s gaze and self-regulate.

An illustration depicting the Panopticon concept, featuring an eye overseeing multiple individuals seated at desks in a circular arrangement, symbolizing surveillance and control. — Panopticon: Panopticonism, a term coined by Clement and Anand, is a machine (computer) for monitoring Medical Providers dissociating the see/being seen dyad: In the peripheral ring, one is seen, without ever seeing; in the central tower, one sees everything without ever being seen.”

We apply this framework to the American healthcare system, primarily focusing on the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), arguing that their oversight creates an environment where healthcare providers feel constantly watched, leading to fear and the denial of proper care for patients with chronic pain and addiction.

Seal of the U.S. Department of Justice and Drug Enforcement Administration, featuring a stylized eagle design. — The seal of the Drug Enforcement Administration is seen on a lectern before the start of a press conference at DEA Headquarters on June 26, 2013 in Arlington, Virginia. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

The authors suggest that this system of unverifiable but visible power makes medical professionals act as “bearers” of this power, effectively forcing self-discipline.

“Visible: the Providers will constantly have before their eyes the tall outline of the central tower from which he is spied upon. Unverifiable: The Health Providers must never know whether anyone is observing them at any moment, but they must be sure that they may always be so.”

A medical professional monitoring digital data while being observed by a surveillance camera, with various analytical graphs and icons displayed in the background. — A system of unverifiable but visible power

The Watched Professional: A State of Permanent Visibility

A split image showcasing two book covers: on the left, 'USA v RAJ' by Dr. Raj Bothra and Jenifer Debellis, featuring a blue background with an American flag and a portrait of a man; on the right, 'DOCTOR NOT GUILTY' by Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD, with an illustration of a hand holding a balance scale, depicting medical symbols and a figure representing the legal system.

This system of digital oversight induces in Medical Doctors, Dentists, Pharmacists, and Nurse Practitioners the very “state of consciousness and permanent visibility” that Bentham envisioned for his prisoners. The architectural apparatus becomes a machine for sustaining a power relation independent of the person exercising it.

A medical professional stands beside a framed certificate and award, indicating recognition in their field.

A concerned male doctor in a white coat stands behind black bars, symbolizing restraint, with a stethoscope around his neck and a poster behind him addressing physician accountability. — This legal document is an amicus curiae brief filed by physicians against the abuse of Asian doctors. Dr. Xiulu Ruan, MD., currently serving 25 years in the U.S. Federal prison system, is a Fellowship-trained, multi-boarded pain management specialist who has achieved eight medical board/subspecialty board certifications in the United States – setting the world record for the most medical board certifications, according to the World Records Academy.

As the source states, the goal is, “In short, that the Physician should be caught up in a power situation of which they are themselves the bearers.” Acutely aware that they are being watched, even if they do not know the precise moment of observation, they are compelled to self-regulate their professional behavior out of the constant fear of scrutiny.

A woman in a maroon jacket stands next to a young boy wearing glasses and a black suit. They are in a cozy living room with wooden floors and a couch in the background.

Ultimately, the texts assert that this model, while rooted in historical patterns of control, results in a “carceral system” extending beyond prisons into various societal institutions, producing an unjust and inequitable society.