Table 1 The four intersectional elements of precision public health ethics

Community health priority

Importance of public health problem

Public health as a prerequisite for individual heath

Unique interests and needs of targeted groups

Public priority principle

Shared authority

Severity of social risks to individuals and groups and value of local knowledge

Too much state control of individual and community choices undermines public trust

Personal and group control of identifiable information

Harm principle and the limits of the Ulysses contract

Least intrusive data use

Social potency of information

Informational security promotes trust and reduces harms

Respect for informational privacy and confidentiality

Least intrusive means principle

Proactive transparency

Levels of community solidarity and vulnerability

Transparency promotes trust and empowers community involvement

Professional transparency about actionable information

Social justice principle