The rise of digital health technologies is revolutionizing how patients manage their own health and interact with clinicians worldwide. Wearables, mobile apps, and online health communities have put an unprecedented amount of personal health data into the hands of patients. This patient health data holds tremendous potential to advance care when appropriately utilized and shared.

What is Patient Generated Health Data?

Patient health data, also referred to as personal health data, encompasses any data created, recorded, gathered, or inferred by or from patients or their designees to help address a health concern. This can include data from fitness trackers, glucose monitors, symptom checkers, and activity trackers. It also includes health histories, exam notes, lab results, imaging scans, and other information that patients provide through digital means. More broadly, it incorporates data on lifestyle factors, environmental exposures, symptoms, and care experiences that patients report outside of clinical settings.

Benefits for Patients and Care

When Patient Generated Health Data actively manage and share their health information, it can translate to several advantages. It empowers them to take a more proactive role in their care instead of just being passive recipients. By having their data consolidated in one place through personal health records, patients gain a more comprehensive view of how various lifestyle and medical factors impact their wellness over time. This type of longitudinal data also allows clinicians to detect patterns, monitor treatment responses, and modify care plans as needed based on real-world evidence from patients' daily lives outside of office visits.

Challenges in Aggregating Global Data

While the benefits of utilizing patient generated health data are clear, effectively aggregating and analyzing this data on a global scale presents various technological and logistical hurdles. Data standards and definitions differ between countries and regions due to regulatory frameworks and varied support for digital health adoption. Data formats are not always compatible, and privacy and security regulations governing patient data sharing are subject to regional laws. Even connectivity and digital literacy vary worldwide, impacting the methods by which remote and rural populations generate and exchange health data. Overcoming these socioeconomic and infrastructural divides will require coordinated global efforts.