[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":344},["ShallowReactive",2],{"slug-digital-health-manifesto":3},{"post":4,"relatedPosts":193,"relatedBooks":343},{"id":5,"date":6,"date_gmt":7,"guid":8,"modified":10,"modified_gmt":11,"slug":12,"status":13,"type":14,"link":15,"title":16,"content":18,"excerpt":21,"author":23,"featured_media":24,"comment_status":25,"ping_status":25,"sticky":26,"template":27,"format":28,"meta":29,"categories":30,"tags":34,"project_category":50,"contact_email_category":51,"yst_prominent_words":52,"class_list":66,"better_featured_image":91,"acf":129,"yoast_meta":138,"_links":140},17164,"2018-02-06T15:35:58","2018-02-06T13:35:58",{"rendered":9},"http:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?p=17164","2022-02-10T12:29:56","2022-02-10T11:29:56","digital-health-manifesto","publish","post","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fdigital-health-manifesto",{"rendered":17},"The Digital Health Manifesto",{"rendered":19,"protected":20},"\n\u003Ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #eee; border-top: 4px solid #444;\" cellpadding=\"5px\">\n\u003Ctbody>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd style=\"width: 100%;\">\n\u003Cp style=\"color: #555;font-size: 12px;line-height: 14px\">THIS ARTICLE HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE 2018. THE INFORMATION SHARED IN THE ARTICLE WAS ACCURATE AT THE TIME OF ITS PUBLICATION, BUT IT MAY BE OUT OF DATE NOW. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fmagazine\">BROWSE OUR LATEST ARTICLES HERE\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\u003C\u002Ftbody>\u003C\u002Ftable>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Digital Health is a cultural transformation, not just a set of new technologies. Written by e-Patient Dave deBronkart and Dr. Bertalan Meskó.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003C!--more-->\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Preamble\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The doctor-patient relationship in healthcare is on the verge of a paradigm shift not seen for centuries – a paradigm shift in Thomas Kuhn’s sense in his 1962 classic, \u003Cem>The Structure of Scientific Revolutions\u003C\u002Fem>. Healthcare and medicine are fundamentally different from physical sciences, but Kuhn’s point about the sociological transition is universal. He mentioned that “perhaps science does not develop by the accumulation of individual discoveries and inventions”, but that “discovery commences with the awareness of anomaly, i.e., with the recognition that nature has somehow violated the paradigm-induced expectations that govern normal science”.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We are at the point of detecting such anomalies in healthcare. For centuries the dominant paradigm has been that patients do not and cannot know what needs to be done (or more precisely cannot know anything worth knowing), yet in story after story, patients today are bringing real value to their own cases, thus “violating the paradigm-induced expectations that govern” the culture of medicine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Kuhn wrote that when too many anomalies accumulate, a field goes into crisis until a new paradigm is developed and accepted. We assert that this crisis stage has arrived, but as often happens, the causes of the anomalies are poorly understood, which leads to confusion and confused reporting. No new paradigm can arise, letting the field advance, while confusion reigns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We, therefore, issue this Digital Health Manifesto.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We assert that the current anomalies are caused by two breakthroughs in the genesis and flow of information: access to knowledge, and digital tools which enable – \u003Cspan style=\"font-style: normal !msorm;\">\u003Cem>but do not\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cem> alone\u003Cspan style=\"font-style: normal !msorm;\"> cause\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fem> – better health through situational awareness and behavior change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image wp-image-17167\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"663\" height=\"510\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fthomas-kuhn_history-of-science_guardian.jpg\" alt=\"Digital Health Manifesto\" class=\"wp-image-17167\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fthomas-kuhn_history-of-science_guardian.jpg 663w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fthomas-kuhn_history-of-science_guardian-512x394.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fthomas-kuhn_history-of-science_guardian-325x250.jpg 325w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 663px) 100vw, 663px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Illustration by Scott Garrett\u002FSource: The Guardian.\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Around the world, many express frustrations at healthcare’s array of challenges: the unsustainability of many national systems, the worldwide doctor and nurse shortages and the spiking numbers of “diseases of civilization” such as diabetes and obesity. Patients, medical professionals, care providers, pharma companies, technology start-ups, regulatory agencies and all other stakeholders in health and care perceive the winds of change. But digital health has produced mixed results, putting the field prematurely in the “trough of disillusionment” defined by \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gartner.com\u002Ftechnology\u002Fresearch\u002Fmethodologies\u002Fhype-cycle.jsp\">Gartner Group\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Players in the investment sector, who would like to participate in improvements, recognize the technological tsunami and rapid changes in other markets such as manufacturing, transportation, and energy, but are vexed by healthcare’s inability to adopt. That’s a clear sign of looming trouble: as Jack Welch said, “When the rate of change inside an institution is slower than the rate of change outside, the end is in sight.” He said it about corporations, but it’s just as true about whole industries: it’s a key mechanism by which a new technology can disrupt an entire industry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Medicine is too important to let this persist; too much is at stake for the future of humanity. Healthcare must re-optimize digitally, as other industries have. Yet observers are equally vexed by the wildly unpredictable results produced by digital health interventions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>In need of two perspectives\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.epatientdave.com\u002F\">e-Patient Dave\u003C\u002Fa> and I are both keynote speakers, who have attended a thousand events.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We represent two different perspectives: I’m a medical doctor and Dave is an empowered survivor of Stage IV cancer (\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002Fepatientdave\">@ePatientDave\u003C\u002Fa>) with a high-tech background. As we are invited to conferences, debates, conversations all over the globe, we get to know plenty of stakeholders in different countries and various cultures with a wide range of issues. Since culture lives in conversations, there’s no better place to detect universal patterns than in hundreds of such events.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"582\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fdave_and_berci.jpg\" alt=\"Digital Health Manifesto\" class=\"wp-image-17180\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fdave_and_berci.jpg 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fdave_and_berci-768x514.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fdave_and_berci-512x343.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fdave_and_berci-373x250.jpg 373w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We need to spot the disconnects in the thinking of influential stakeholders regarding the future, and create bridges and conceptualize the big picture to allow us into a better future. A future where old hierarchies tumble down, the paternalistic patient-doctor relationship is no longer needed and disruptive technologies enable the democratization of care by democratizing knowledge. A future where all these are in place due to cultural transformation \u003Cem>facilitated by\u003C\u002Fem> disruptive technologies. In short, a future where digital health has fulfilled its potential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This manifesto presents six declarations we believe are essential for correctly understanding what is and isn’t happening in digital health, hoping that it will help patients, physicians, and policymakers adopt new technologies easier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"810\" height=\"495\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002FDigital-Health-1.jpg\" alt=\"Digital Health Manifesto\" class=\"wp-image-17168\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002FDigital-Health-1.jpg 810w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002FDigital-Health-1-768x469.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002FDigital-Health-1-512x313.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002FDigital-Health-1-409x250.jpg 409w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 810px) 100vw, 810px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: normal !msorm;\">Manifesto\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>1) It’s a cultural transformation – not just technology\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Despite popular belief, disruptive technologies cannot bring change on their own. Social media, artificial intelligence, robotics, 3D printing, virtual or augmented reality and health sensors have no effect whatsoever without a change in stakeholders’ attitude and the structure of the system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Disruptive technologies do, however, give participants a chance to redefine their roles. Modern doctors must stop saying “stay off the internet” and accept that their patients already \u003Cem>do \u003C\u002Fem>look things up online. As Dave says in speeches, “Googling is a sign of an engaged patient!” Doctors should extend their hard-earned expertise into the tools and channels where motivated patients live, or they risk becoming irrelevant – how ironic that would be. Recommend trustworthy sites and apps; be available (or have staff available) for questions and concerns; welcome the engagement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Another dimension arriving, but not always welcome, is the reality that patients are gaining increasing data at home, continuing the time-honored trends of home thermometers, home pregnancy tests, insulin test strips, CGMs etc. We can barely imagine the next step in which preliminary diagnoses and prescriptions may be possible. Virtual reality or augmented reality could bring doctors to patients’ homes (as telemedicine already does), which will be wonderful for the elderly or remote communities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>But as long as the culture of medicine resists doing things differently, progress will be impeded. We must not construe shortfalls as the fault of technology if the culture hasn’t changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"489\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fdoctor-patient-relationship.jpg\" alt=\"Digital Health Manifesto\" class=\"wp-image-17169\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fdoctor-patient-relationship.jpg 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fdoctor-patient-relationship-370x208.jpg 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fdoctor-patient-relationship-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fdoctor-patient-relationship-512x288.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fdoctor-patient-relationship-444x250.jpg 444w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>2) It’s about behavior change\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In his book \u003Cem>Let Patients Help\u003C\u002Fem>, Dave wrote that “Information alone doesn’t change behavior.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>When he was diagnosed with pre-Type 2 diabetes, he bought a fitness wristband, and in the first six weeks his weight went up: in the absence of change, the data from his wrist did no good at all! Does this prove wristbands are useless? No: he got into the evidence-based Diabetes Prevention Program, where encouragement and coaching coaxed him into eating better (with the help of an app) and becoming more active, with months of coaching reinforcement and strong support at home. Ultimately he lost 40 pounds and became a runner in his sixties. Technology \u003Cem>enabled \u003C\u002Fem>behavior change, but technology alone was not sufficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fpii\u002FS2213858716302844\">Researchers in Singapore carried out an interesting study\u003C\u002Fa> for measuring the effect of healthcare trackers on people’s motivations. The findings show that regardless of physical activity levels of participants before the study began, activity trackers alone or when combined with rewards designated for charity did not increase activity levels. In fact, nearly half of participants were no longer wearing their trackers by the six-month assessment period. Technology cannot substitute willpower and action, cannot change people from passive yesmen into proactive leaders if they don’t want to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fbehaviour-change.jpg\" alt=\"Digital Health Manifesto\" class=\"wp-image-17171\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fbehaviour-change.jpg 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fbehaviour-change-768x508.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fbehaviour-change-512x338.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fbehaviour-change-378x250.jpg 378w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>3) New information enables better performance and better questions\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Every digital technology is having an unprecedented, paradigm-altering effect on who can know what, which alters the possible future. Vast amounts of easily accessible knowledge mean people are informed better, which enables them to perform better – doctors as well as patients.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>It has to be acknowledged that with the rise of digital technologies and the dissemination of knowledge beyond the ivory tower, patients today have a lot more to offer to doctors than before. Very soon, the old paradigm “medicine is hard; people without medical training have nothing to offer” will be obsolete, but we must work actively to change it among both patients and clinicians: it prevents most patients from speaking up, asking questions, telling their doctors their opinions, feelings, and experiences – and even if they do, it prevents most doctors from recognizing the possible value and listening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As online communities with knowledge sharing and camaraderie urge more and more patients to speak up in their own cases and for their own interests, medical professionals will also have the push to perform better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>It’s essential for digital health observers to recognize both these points: data truly \u003Cem>enables \u003C\u002Fem>new levels of performance, but the information alone won’t do it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"580\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fa-senior-doctor-listens-to-a-senior-female-patient.jpg\" alt=\"Digital Health Manifesto\" class=\"wp-image-17172\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fa-senior-doctor-listens-to-a-senior-female-patient.jpg 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fa-senior-doctor-listens-to-a-senior-female-patient-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fa-senior-doctor-listens-to-a-senior-female-patient-512x341.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fa-senior-doctor-listens-to-a-senior-female-patient-375x250.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>4) It’s about what works for the patient\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Any tool has value only in the context of an objective and a plan. Yet, no plan is of interest unless it suits the patient’s needs. Thus, an essential part of our cultural transformation is to shift the locus of control: we must shift from “doctor knows best” to “what are your goals for your care?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>For a digital health tool to be attractive, it must serve a patient’s goals – \u003Cem>self-defined\u003C\u002Fem>, not imposed by authority – and the user\u002Fpatient must believe change is possible. News writers like to declare that digital health or behavioral interventions have failed, but we have never seen an article in which the patient’s activation level, motivation, or readiness for change has been reported too. This is a failure to diagnose before prescribing, as surely as if an antibiotic were prescribed without knowing which bacteria the patient has.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>5) The future of care includes networked access to information and empathy\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Tech pioneer Vinton Cerf, often referred to as “the father of the Internet,” said that the online platform “is not merely a technology but a new way of cooperating, sharing, and caring”. The World Wide Web enables the interconnection of people and their knowledge, whether it’s about DIY cornices or insulin pumps. The availability of vast amounts of medical information demolished the old – yet persistent – attitude that medical knowledge resides only in the minds of the best doctors and is passed down through the hierarchy. Anyone with an internet connection can access relevant and useful medical information, can learn about their own case and ask questions. As with devices, the information doesn’t guarantee change but \u003Cem>enables \u003C\u002Fem>it. To deny this new possibility is to be a dinosaur. We must instead learn to use it, leverage it. (Remember what Welch said.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"550\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fdigital-health-and-medicine.jpg\" alt=\"Digital Health Manifesto\" class=\"wp-image-17173\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fdigital-health-and-medicine.jpg 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fdigital-health-and-medicine-768x486.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fdigital-health-and-medicine-512x324.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fdigital-health-and-medicine-395x250.jpg 395w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Some patients have even found the key to healing online. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patientpower.info\u002Fbio\u002Fjanet-freeman-daily\">Janet Freeman-Daily\u003C\u002Fa>, a stage IV lung cancer patient whose doctors had run out of options, welcomed her contribution when she joined a patient community and discovered a little-known mutation that ultimately led to her achieving the coveted “no evidence of disease” status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Connectivity not only means access to knowledge but also to others with the same need. Patients can often feel isolated if nobody they know is going through the same journey, but they often find it in online patient communities. Health researcher Susannah Fox’s excellent video on peer-to-peer healthcare shows that \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fsusannahfox.com\u002Fvideo-peer-health-advice\u002F\">even a small community may have better health information\u003C\u002Fa> than most individuals and some doctors. Further, they can provide empathy and the feeling of belonging and understanding and are beyond a doctor’s sensible scope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>6) Think critically: read beyond the headlines.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A real peril for observers and participants is inept reporting amplified by clickbait headlines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp> “Will fitness wearables soon diagnose by design, not by chance?” asked \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.engadget.com\u002F2017\u002F09\u002F15\u002Fapple-watch-fitbit-heart-rate\u002F\">Engadget a while ago\u003C\u002Fa>. No, they won’t, we responded in our \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fpulse\u002Fengadget-reason-your-doctors-think-youre-idiot-mesk%C3%B3-md-phd\u002F\">LinkedIn piece\u003C\u002Fa>. Both of us – doctor and patient – got frustrated because the tech website’s writers revealed they don’t know the difference between a single symptom (with no context at all) and a medical diagnosis. Medicine is complicated! A doctor could be disciplined for such an ignorant mistake, and observers who read such things will be just as ill-informed and unable to do their work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"489\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Ffake-news-science-and-medicine.jpg\" alt=\"Digital Health Manifesto\" class=\"wp-image-17174\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Ffake-news-science-and-medicine.jpg 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Ffake-news-science-and-medicine-370x208.jpg 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Ffake-news-science-and-medicine-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Ffake-news-science-and-medicine-512x288.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Ffake-news-science-and-medicine-445x250.jpg 445w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The root problem is that many digital health writers know plenty about apps but nothing about medicine. A secondary problem is a resulting sense that digital health is for idiots: imagine a trusting reader (you?) who goes to a doctor and mentions the article. The doctor concludes that e-health is stupid and the patient is naive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We must think critically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Engadget is not alone. The widely trusted business sites \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftechcrunch.com\u002F2018\u002F01\u002F24\u002Fapple-wants-to-gather-all-your-medical-records-in-the-health-app\u002F\">TechCrunch\u003C\u002Fa> and \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.businessinsider.com\u002Fapple-complete-medical-health-records-iphones-2018-1\">BusinessInsider\u003C\u002Fa> were wildly incorrect in their coverage of Apple’s January announcement that the Health app will be able to download a small set of simple measurements (blood pressure, blood tests etc.). That’s a tiny part of a patient’s medical record (as any savvy patient knows), but TechCrunch called it “all your medical records” and BusinessInsider enthused “complete medical records.” This not only makes patients and the digital community look like idiots; it blocks thinking professionals from contemplating what actually has been announced, so they can better understand what is newly possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Health news sites and tech magazines have a lot of responsibility, so they should act accordingly. As for patients and doctors as news-consuming users themselves, they should be vigilant about online content and attempt to see through the filter of current reporting. Here is \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fread-news-breakthrough-medical-technologies\u002F\">some help how to do that\u003C\u002Fa>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>No manifesto will by itself change a two-thousand-year-old system, any more than Martin Luther’s 95 theses did. Establishments die hard: 100 years ago, in 1918, Max Planck was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics, and in his \u003Cem>Scientific Autobiography \u003C\u002Fem>he talked about the adoption of change by any establishment:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\u003Cp style=\"text-align: justify;\">A new scientific truth does not win adoption by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but because its opponents eventually die.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A manifesto can, though, kindle new thinking among those who do see the light. Planck continued:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\u003Cp style=\"text-align: justify;\">… and a new generation comes up that is familiar with it.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"712\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002F65716511_illustration-converted.jpg\" alt=\"Digital Health Manifesto\" class=\"wp-image-17175\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002F65716511_illustration-converted.jpg 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002F65716511_illustration-converted-768x629.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002F65716511_illustration-converted-512x419.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002F65716511_illustration-converted-306x250.jpg 306w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>It is to these new thinkers (of any age) that we address this manifesto. There is much more to be said, but these declarations form the foundation without which nothing more could stand as we present it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>It is essential that health and care achieve their potential, which cannot be done based on false understandings. This is why I asked Dave to contribute with his revolutionary ideas and vision. \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.epatientdave.com\u002Fspeaker\u002F\">Whenever I saw him speak\u003C\u002Fa>, there was a standing ovation. If this article helps you see what Dave and I independently observed in our travels despite our completely different backgrounds, we will be grateful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #eee; border-top: 4px solid #444;\" cellpadding=\"10px\">\n\u003Ctbody>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd style=\"width: 100%;\">\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>At The Medical Futurist, we are building a community for making a bold vision about the future of healthcare reality today.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FFIbMejImnxs\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\">\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003Cp>If you’d like to support this mission, we invite you to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fthemedicalfuturist\">join The Medical Futurist Patreon Community\u003C\u002Fa>. A community of empowered patients, future-oriented healthcare professionals, concerned health policymakers, sensible health tech developers, and enthusiastic medical students. If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Every contribution, however big or small, powers our research and sustains our future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fthemedicalfuturist\">\u003Cstrong style=\"background-color: #e71d3299; color: #000;\">Click here to support The Medical Futurist from as little as $3\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fa> – it only takes a minute. Thank you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003C\u002Ftbody>\n\u003C\u002Ftable>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fthemedicalfuturist.us8.list-manage.com\u002Fsubscribe?u=5b42ebb547c75ff669a6572d3&id=efd6a3cd08\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.google.com\u002Furl?q=https:\u002F\u002Fthemedicalfuturist.us8.list-manage.com\u002Fsubscribe?u%3D5b42ebb547c75ff669a6572d3%26id%3Defd6a3cd08&source=gmail&ust=1533905489195000&usg=AFQjCNHUJqcWO3Q6NY-CAB79u_3w3GjHZQ\">\u003Cb>Subscribe To The Medical Futurist℠ Newsletter\u003C\u002Fb>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\u003Cli>News shaping the future of healthcare\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>Advice on taking charge of your health\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>Reviews of the latest health technology\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n",false,{"rendered":22,"protected":20},"\u003Cp>Digital Health is a cultural transformation, not just a set of new technologies. Written by e-Patient Dave deBronkart and Dr. Bertalan Meskó.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",6,17177,"closed",true,"","standard",{"_acf_changed":20,"footnotes":27},[31,32,33],491,499,800,[35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49],207,214,631,246,271,813,272,814,275,815,289,347,355,425,206,[],[],[53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64,65],1719,1721,1723,1729,1883,1979,2281,1571,3607,1617,4047,1631,1681,[67,14,68,69,70,71,72,73,74,75,76,77,78,79,80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89,90],"post-17164","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-empowered-patients","category-healthcare-design","category-healthcare-policy","tag-digital-health","tag-doctor","tag-patient-empowerment","tag-future","tag-health","tag-philosophy","tag-health-20","tag-manifesto","tag-healthcare","tag-empowerment","tag-innovation","tag-patient","tag-personalized-medicine","tag-technology-2","tag-digital",{"id":24,"alt_text":92,"caption":27,"description":27,"media_type":93,"media_details":94,"post":5,"source_url":128},"Digital Health Manifesto","image",{"width":95,"height":96,"file":97,"sizes":98,"image_meta":125},870,489,"2018\u002F02\u002Fdigital-health-manifesto.jpg",{"medium":99,"large":105,"thumbnail":110,"medium_large":114,"large_old_512x288":115,"medium_old_444x250":120},{"file":100,"width":101,"height":102,"mime-type":103,"source_url":104},"digital-health-manifesto-370x208.jpg",370,208,"image\u002Fjpeg","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fdigital-health-manifesto-370x208.jpg",{"file":106,"width":107,"height":108,"mime-type":103,"source_url":109},"digital-health-manifesto-768x432.jpg",768,432,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fdigital-health-manifesto-768x432.jpg",{"file":111,"width":112,"height":112,"mime-type":103,"source_url":113},"digital-health-manifesto-150x150.jpg",150,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fdigital-health-manifesto-150x150.jpg",{"file":106,"width":107,"height":108,"mime-type":103,"source_url":109},{"file":116,"width":117,"height":118,"mime-type":103,"source_url":119},"digital-health-manifesto-512x288.jpg",512,288,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fdigital-health-manifesto-512x288.jpg",{"file":121,"width":122,"height":123,"mime-type":103,"source_url":124},"digital-health-manifesto-444x250.jpg",444,250,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fdigital-health-manifesto-444x250.jpg",{"aperture":126,"credit":27,"camera":27,"caption":27,"created_timestamp":126,"copyright":27,"focal_length":126,"iso":126,"shutter_speed":126,"title":27,"orientation":126,"keywords":127},"0",[],"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002Fdigital-health-manifesto.jpg",{"related_posts":130,"related_posts_footer":134,"cta_type":27,"cta_color":27,"subtitle":27,"related_books":20},[131,132,133],17293,16405,20908,[135,136,137],17980,17494,21210,{"yoast_wpseo_title":139,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":27,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":15},"The Digital Health Manifesto - The Medical Futurist",{"self":141,"collection":147,"about":150,"author":153,"replies":156,"version-history":159,"predecessor-version":163,"wp:featuredmedia":167,"wp:attachment":170,"wp:term":173,"curies":189},[142],{"href":143,"targetHints":144},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F17164",{"allow":145},[146],"GET",[148],{"href":149},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts",[151],{"href":152},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftypes\u002Fpost",[154],{"embeddable":26,"href":155},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fusers\u002F6",[157],{"embeddable":26,"href":158},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=17164",[160],{"count":161,"href":162},20,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F17164\u002Frevisions",[164],{"id":165,"href":166},46137,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F17164\u002Frevisions\u002F46137",[168],{"embeddable":26,"href":169},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F17177",[171],{"href":172},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=17164",[174,177,180,183,186],{"taxonomy":175,"embeddable":26,"href":176},"category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=17164",{"taxonomy":178,"embeddable":26,"href":179},"post_tag","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=17164",{"taxonomy":181,"embeddable":26,"href":182},"project_category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=17164",{"taxonomy":184,"embeddable":26,"href":185},"contact_email_category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=17164",{"taxonomy":187,"embeddable":26,"href":188},"yst_prominent_words","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=17164",[190],{"name":191,"href":192,"templated":26},"wp","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.w.org\u002F{rel}",[194],{"id":137,"date":195,"date_gmt":196,"guid":197,"modified":199,"modified_gmt":200,"slug":201,"status":13,"type":14,"link":202,"title":203,"content":205,"excerpt":207,"author":23,"featured_media":209,"comment_status":25,"ping_status":25,"sticky":26,"template":27,"format":28,"meta":210,"categories":211,"tags":214,"project_category":224,"contact_email_category":225,"yst_prominent_words":226,"class_list":234,"better_featured_image":247,"acf":283,"yoast_meta":298,"_links":301},"2026-07-02T06:54:42","2026-07-02T04:54:42",{"rendered":198},"http:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F","2026-07-02T06:54:43","2026-07-02T04:54:43","what-do-digital-biomarkers-mean","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fwhat-do-digital-biomarkers-mean",{"rendered":204},"What Do Digital Biomarkers Mean?",{"rendered":206,"protected":20},"\n\u003Cp class=\"has-text-align-left\">The spread of wearable digital technologies in healthcare generating big data entailed the appearance of a new type of medical information. They produce actionable insights into the biological state of individuals, just like “general” biomarkers, but are collected through digital tools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"has-text-align-left\">Here’s our summary of what digital biomarkers mean and how they will be used in the near future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"One-Minute Challenge: Digital Biomarkers\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FG3MPHLabIcw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>The appearance of user-generated big data in healthcare\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In the last couple of years, Fitbit, Jawbone, Apple Health, Withings, Garmin, Sleep as Android, WIWE, MocaCare, Skeeper – in other words, fitness trackers, step counters, health apps, sleep sensors, pocket ECG, blood pressure or other health parameter measuring devices appeared out of nowhere. By now, they are generating an astounding amount of data about patients and individuals not getting patient care. That’s what digital biomarkers are about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>According to \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.marketsandmarkets.com\u002FMarket-Reports\u002Fwearable-medical-device-market-81753973.html?gclid=CjwKCAiAmb7RBRATEiwA7kS8VNa5y7oFWGL6JgvR5HeH4-8NGxnVtm5W3mTby2ZNd0rGdwcPUxaDohoCLI8QAvD_BwE\" target=\"_blank\">Markets and Markets\u003C\u002Fa>, the global market for medical wearable devices is projected to reach $30.1 billion by 2026, with the US being the largest market. Meanwhile, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fortunebusinessinsights.com\u002Ffitness-tracker-market-103358\" target=\"_blank\">the global fitness wearable market\u003C\u002Fa> (including smartwatches, fitness bands, smart glasses and smart clothing among others) is projected to grow to $114.36 billion in 2028. What is probably even more telling than the above figures is this: according to \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.insiderintelligence.com\u002Finsights\u002Fwearable-technology-healthcare-medical-devices\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">research from Insider Intelligence\u003C\u002Fa>, more than 80% of US consumers are willing to wear fitness technology. No wonder \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.statista.com\u002Ftopics\u002F4393\u002Ffitness-and-activity-tracker\u002F#topicHeader__wrapper\" target=\"_blank\">over 530 million units\u003C\u002Fa> were shipped in 2021 globally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The exponential rise in data-generating devices naturally goes together with the growth of healthcare data. According to a \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cloudangles.com\u002Fhealthcareutopia.html#:~:text=Over%20the%20few%20yeas%2C%20US,but%20it's%20also%20incredibly%20messy.\" target=\"_blank\">White Paper by Cloud Angels\u003C\u002Fa>, 2850 exabytes (one exabyte = one billion gigabytes) of health data were generated in 2021. Just to put this in context, the figure was 153 exabytes in 2013. The growth is… massive.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>That data includes information from electronic medical records (medical imaging, patient history, etc.), genetic as well as patient-generated data. Even if looking only at the latter, the digital biomarkers themselves, that means an inconceivable amount of new information in the healthcare scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Digital biomarkers decoded\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>From the above statistics, the boundaries of digital biomarkers could also be determined. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>X-rays or the results of a DNA test don’t belong to the area of digital biomarkers. On the other hand, Fitbit or Apple watch data does – fitness and wellness data constitutes a huge chunk of digital biomarkers, besides medical-grade information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The second important factor is the digital nature of data collection. Although a traditional blood test could result in insightful \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Fpmc\u002Farticles\u002FPMC3078627\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">biomarkers\u003C\u002Fa>, they are not part of the digital universe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Thus, the definition could be laid down as the following: \u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>digital biomarkers are data that consumers directly collect about health or disease management through digital health technologies to explain, influence and\u002For predict health-related outcomes.\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>RockHealth says that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Frockhealth.com\u002Freports\u002Fthe-emerging-influence-of-digital-biomarkers-on-healthcare\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">measured data only becomes a biomarker when it connects to a health-related outcome\u003C\u002Fa>. If the blood pressure values are linked to cardiovascular risks, for example, that’s the point where it gets interesting for research.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-21211\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"638\" height=\"373\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F07\u002Fdigital-biomarkers.jpg\" alt=\"digital biomarkers\" class=\"wp-image-21211\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F07\u002Fdigital-biomarkers.jpg 638w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F07\u002Fdigital-biomarkers-512x299.jpg 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 638px) 100vw, 638px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: Brandon Bellinger: Continuous Digital Biomarkers from Wearable Devices\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>The application of digital biomarkers\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>When paired with analytical tools, these large volumes of data can be leveraged to track trends and patterns for both individuals and populations. Medical research has already recognised the tremendous potential of digital biomarkers, and there are plenty of studies underway to understand disease and health better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>For example, in February 2018, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fevidation.com\u002F\">Evidation Health\u003C\u002Fa> \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mobihealthnews.com\u002Fcontent\u002Fevidation-launches-large-study-develop-digital-biomarkers-chronic-pain\" target=\"_blank\">announced the launch of a 10,000-person chronic pain study\u003C\u002Fa>. The research aimed to quantify chronic pain and develop digital biomarkers for chronic pain severity, flare-ups and quality of life by using activity trackers, health apps, and other more traditional data points. In the year-long study, participants used Apple Watches, Garmins, and Android Watches. The results \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.medrxiv.org\u002Fcontent\u002F10.1101\u002F2021.07.14.21260523v1.full.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">can be found here\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Another interesting read is \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nature.com\u002Farticles\u002Fs41746-022-00593-x\" target=\"_blank\">this article\u003C\u002Fa> published in April 2022, discussing fitness tracker use in federally qualified health center patients. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Researchers started to look at elderly adults with dementia, and patients with Parkinson’s or Huntington’s through wearables, accelerometers, smartwatches, etc. Even \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.karger.com\u002FArticle\u002FFullText\u002F489224\" target=\"_blank\">the effect of digital pills was measured in a 2017 study\u003C\u002Fa>, and it turned out that digital medicines indeed constitute efficient means to track medication intake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The advancement of the past few years can be summarized \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fscitechdaily.com\u002Fcompact-wearable-lab-on-the-skin-continuously-monitors-glucose-alcohol-and-lactate\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">in a single report\u003C\u002Fa>: engineers at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) have developed a prototype of a wearable that can continuously monitor several health stats – glucose, alcohol, and lactate levels -simultaneously in real-time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>And we also have to mention one booming area: \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fyoutu.be\u002FdxqrtRkZqRk\" target=\"_blank\">vocal biomarkers\u003C\u002Fa>. Following the boost from the pandemic, today there are dozens of solutions that aim to diagnose the presence\u002Fseverity of certain conditions based on audio clues (eg: from the voice, breathing patterns or cough of a patient). There are studies on determining \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.frontiersin.org\u002Farticles\u002F10.3389\u002Ffcomp.2021.624694\u002Ffull\" target=\"_blank\">speech biomarkers in Alzheimer’s\u003C\u002Fa>, or \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Fpmc\u002Farticles\u002FPMC8513517\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">detecting COVID\u003C\u002Fa> from voice\u002Fcough and breathing patterns or using \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmdspiro.com\u002Fvoice-as-a-biomarker-for-chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">voice as a biomarker for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>What does the (near) future bring?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Digital biomarkers could significantly help in bringing healthcare from a reactive towards a more preventive approach, as researchers will not only be able to explain diseases better, but more and more data will be available to analyse what healthy, normal states signify and to predict future health outcomes. As a consequence, research into digital biomarkers will soar in the coming years. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, there are several challenges to overcome in the near future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003Cli>Standardized solutions are needed to be able to compare studies carried out with digital biomarkers. When a clinical trial is conducted, the standardised procedure ensures that sampling means the same in every case, and thus results are comparable with other achievements. Regarding consumer-generated data, that’s not that evident. The framework in the case of measurements carried out with smartwatches or trackers could be completely different in each situation.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>The reliability of some instruments is also questionable as not every wearable or health sensor is FDA- or CE-approved.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>The details of the measurements could also be entirely different. An individual could measure ECG at home with five different tools. While the results will (should) be reasonably similar, the quality and details of the measurements differ significantly, which might be essential for the researcher.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>Privacy and more generally, regulatory issues also constitute a matter of concern. While the consumer or patient measures digital biomarkers at home and sends the data to the researchers, how could anyone make sure that it doesn’t get to unauthorized persons? How will data protection and privacy look like?\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\n\n\n\u003Ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #eee; border-top: 4px solid #444;\" cellpadding=\"10px\">\n\u003Ctbody>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd style=\"width: 100%;\">\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>At The Medical Futurist, we are building a community for making a bold vision about the future of healthcare reality today.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FFIbMejImnxs\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\">\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003Cp>If you’d like to support this mission, we invite you to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fthemedicalfuturist\">join The Medical Futurist Patreon Community\u003C\u002Fa>. A community of empowered patients, future-oriented healthcare professionals, concerned health policymakers, sensible health tech developers, and enthusiastic medical students. If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Every contribution, however big or small, powers our research and sustains our future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fthemedicalfuturist\">\u003Cstrong style=\"background-color: #e71d3299; color: #000;\">Click here to support The Medical Futurist from as little as $3\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fa> – it only takes a minute. Thank you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003C\u002Ftbody>\n\u003C\u002Ftable>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Feepurl.com\u002FZejiT\">\u003Cstrong>Subscribe To The Medical Futurist℠ Newsletter\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003Cli>News shaping the future of healthcare\u003C\u002Fli>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>Advice on taking charge of your health\u003C\u002Fli>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>Reviews of the latest health technology\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n",{"rendered":208,"protected":20},"\u003Cp>The spread of wearable digital technologies in healthcare generating big data entailed the appearance of a new type of medical information. They produce actionable insights into the biological state of individuals, just as “general” biomarkers, but are collected through digital tools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",47103,{"_acf_changed":20,"footnotes":27},[212,213],798,496,[215,216,217,218,49,219,35,220,45,221,222,223],606,975,976,977,978,979,980,361,373,[],[],[227,228,54,55,56,57,58,229,230,60,231,65,232,233],5529,1693,2029,3333,3523,3585,1683,[235,14,68,69,70,71,72,236,237,238,239,240,241,90,242,76,243,86,244,245,246],"post-21210","category-digital-health-research","category-health-sensors-trackers","tag-prevention","tag-digital-biomarkers","tag-biomarkers","tag-biomarker","tag-health-research","tag-population-health","tag-preventive-health","tag-prediction","tag-research",{"id":209,"alt_text":248,"caption":27,"description":27,"media_type":93,"media_details":249,"post":281,"source_url":282},"AI algorithm research topic digital health",{"width":250,"height":251,"file":252,"sizes":253,"image_meta":280},1920,1080,"2022\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_331-01.png",{"medium":254,"large":260,"thumbnail":265,"medium_large":269,"1536x1536":270,"2048x2048":275},{"file":255,"width":256,"height":257,"mime-type":258,"source_url":259},"tmf_article_331-01-370x208.png","370","208","image\u002Fpng","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_331-01-370x208.png",{"file":261,"width":262,"height":263,"mime-type":258,"source_url":264},"tmf_article_331-01-768x432.png","768","432","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_331-01-768x432.png",{"file":266,"width":267,"height":267,"mime-type":258,"source_url":268},"tmf_article_331-01-150x150.png","150","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_331-01-150x150.png",{"file":261,"width":262,"height":263,"mime-type":258,"source_url":264},{"file":271,"width":272,"height":273,"mime-type":258,"source_url":274},"tmf_article_331-01-1536x864.png","1536","864","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_331-01-1536x864.png",{"file":276,"width":277,"height":278,"mime-type":258,"source_url":279},"tmf_article_331-01-2048x1152.png","2048","1152","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_331-01-2048x1152.png",{"aperture":126,"credit":27,"camera":27,"caption":27,"created_timestamp":126,"copyright":27,"focal_length":126,"iso":126,"shutter_speed":126,"title":27,"orientation":126},47095,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_331-01.png",{"related_posts":20,"related_posts_footer":284,"cta_type":288,"cta_color":27,"subtitle":27,"related_books":289,"key_takeaways":293},[285,286,287],15248,14445,20735,"subscribe",[290,291,292],30419,47427,24761,[294,296],{"title":295},"\u003Cp>The spread of wearable digital technologies in healthcare generating big data entailed the appearance of a new type of medical information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"title":297},"\u003Cp>They produce actionable insights into the biological state of individuals, just as “general” biomarkers, but are collected through digital tools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"yoast_wpseo_title":299,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":300,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":202},"What Do Digital Biomarkers Mean? - The Medical Futurist","Digital Biomarkers: The Medical Futurist's summary of what digital biomarkers mean and how they will be used in the future to track trends.",{"self":302,"collection":307,"about":309,"author":311,"replies":313,"version-history":316,"predecessor-version":320,"wp:featuredmedia":324,"wp:attachment":327,"wp:term":330,"curies":341},[303],{"href":304,"targetHints":305},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F21210",{"allow":306},[146],[308],{"href":149},[310],{"href":152},[312],{"embeddable":26,"href":155},[314],{"embeddable":26,"href":315},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=21210",[317],{"count":318,"href":319},22,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F21210\u002Frevisions",[321],{"id":322,"href":323},58021,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F21210\u002Frevisions\u002F58021",[325],{"embeddable":26,"href":326},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F47103",[328],{"href":329},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=21210",[331,333,335,337,339],{"taxonomy":175,"embeddable":26,"href":332},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=21210",{"taxonomy":178,"embeddable":26,"href":334},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=21210",{"taxonomy":181,"embeddable":26,"href":336},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=21210",{"taxonomy":184,"embeddable":26,"href":338},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=21210",{"taxonomy":187,"embeddable":26,"href":340},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=21210",[342],{"name":191,"href":192,"templated":26},[],1786260396937]