Improving Self-Management and Care Coordination with Person-Generated Health Data and Mobile Health

Abstract

Triggered by the advent of mobile health (mHealth) technologies such as smartphones and wearable devices, person-generated health data (PGHD) provides a great opportunity for health management and care. These technological advancements have generated great interest among both researchers and individuals, whether healthy or ill, in maintaining wellness, remediating illness, and increasing performance of the health system. This chapter describes the rise of PGHD, development of mHealth applications, and evolution of self-monitoring tools for chronic illness. Beginning with early research, this chapter explores evidence documenting rapid growth in this field. As technologies have evolved in the consumer market, health research has also adopted new technologies and evaluated their clinical effectiveness to manage various chronic conditions. The evolution in health information technologies is explained through a case study of one very common chronic disease, type 2 diabetes. Next, the use and influence of PGHD at an individual level and for care coordination among teams is discussed. PGHD and its integration and impacts on health, adoption of the technologies by patients, and feasibility of integration into patient–clinician interactions are illustrated by examples from Project HealthDesign. Finally, the chapter concludes by presenting the current challenges followed by providing recommendations for enhancing the field of PGHD and mHealth. Recommendations include integration of several areas such as behavior change theory, technology adoption, and persuasive technologies to provide a more comprehensive approach.