Question

Discuss an example of a mobile device or social or health-related application you use in everyday life that stores personal health data and could potentially benefit your health. How could the technology or application be improved and utilized in the health care setting to provide a more detailed or holistic picture of a person's health status to providers?

Answer 1

In simple, there are 5 simple ways to track the personal health information in the mobile phone.

1. Manually enter the information
2. Capture information with phone's sensors
3. Capture information with a seperate health sensor
4. Link to your electronic health records
5. Keep a lifelog

Manually enter the information

This is the most primitive way to track your health information, whether it’s your blood pressure, weight, blood sugar, energy level, or medication list. You can use your phone's native apps (e.g., Notes on iPhone) or a cloud storage service like Dropbox or Google Drive. Evernote can be used to store just about any type of information, but it's also integrated with health sensor devices

Capture information with phone's sensors

The sensors built into your phone can automatically capture selected types of health information when they are linked to suitable apps. Thus, the apps take advantage of the phone's stock hardware to deliver specialized health-related functions. A popular example is tracking physical activity. Numerous apps (e.g., RunKeeper) use the phone's GPS to track outdoor activities like running or walking.

Capture information with a seperate health sensor

While the smartphone itself is a wonder of modern technology, its greatest potential for health tracking may lie in the ability to connect to separate sensors.

Here are a few devices you can connect with your phone to track health information:

• Activity trackers like the Fitbit, Jawbone, Spark, and dozens of others
• Blood pressure monitor
• Glucose meter
• Pulse oximeters for measuring heart rate and oxygen saturation
• Weight scale
• Heart rhythm monitor, like the FDA-approved AliveCor device
• Peak flow meter for monitoring asthma control

Comprehensive platforms like Apple's Health app make it easy to tie all this information together.

Link to your electronic health records

Much of your health information may be stored in electronic health records (EHRs) maintained by your health care providers. Many EHRs now allow patients to access information stored in EHRs, such as vital signs, medications, test results, appointments, and visit summaries.

You can access these through a patient portal on your phone or download it with the Blue Button function. It is also possible to transfer data from a smartphone to your EHR. However, it is not yet completely safe or flexible to do this directly. Experts suggest using a method that involves a dedicated gateway server.

Keep a lifelog

Lifeloggers are committed to recording all their behavioral activities, such as exercising, sleeping and eating, and storing large amounts of personal data. First lifeloggers were recording their lives manually. Smartphones can now capture data automatically and produce lifelogs spanning over a few years. Gordon Bell is perhaps the most well-known lifelogger.