Patient-generated health data: Dimensions, challenges, and open questions

Abstract

In this review, we present an overview of patient-generated health data (PGHD) research, focusing on important aspects that inform and define studies in the area. We start by exploring a fundamental question: What is patient-generated health data?We list the main terms and definitions identified from previous research and generate a set of seven key dimensions for understanding PGHD: (1) the health focus of the study, (2) the type of data, (3) who proposes the use of PGHD, (4) whose data are collected, (5) who are the intended users, (6) how PGHD is collected and used, and (7) the duration of PGHD use. We describe these dimensions and discuss their importance to research PGHD. We then present a discussion of the impact of PGHD and related practices in people's lives and the debates concerning the consequences, both positive and negative, that may arise.