Thoughts? We're thinking of individual-level prediction tools, but there are other ways of using this approach. e.g. at the community / city scale with mobile operator data.
Now that I think about it, I imagine most young people use Facebook messages/wall posts more than phone calls and texts.
Or perhaps a browser plugin that anonymously reports browsing habits.
You might see if this could get funded as a means to help seriously at risk populations reduce their risk, spot problems at an earlier stage and so on.
I have a form of cystic fibrosis, as does my 23 year old son. We have gotten a great deal healthier than doctors claim is possible largely by making dietary and lifestyle changes to protect us from illness, rather than waiting until we are ill and loading up on drugs. I'm extremely controversial in the CF community. But if you had funding from some "kosher" organization (unlike me -- I'm just some loudmouthed individual speaking from firsthand experience...aka "fruitcake"), well, there is real potential to do real good here, not just for the individual quality of life but also the economy: By my estimation, the 30,000 or so people with CF in the US consume roughly $3billion+ annually (edit: I mean in medical care -- doctors visits, drugs, hospitalizations), most of which does not come out of their pockets. Most of it comes from insurance, state aid, federal aid, charities, and even medical write-offs when patients who are routinely deathly ill simply can't pay. I don't know how to tap into that $3 billion, but it is in someone's best interest monetarily (if nothing else) to help this population (and others like it) stay healthier. And I know it is an achievable goal because I do it every day. I just don't know how to adequately explain to other people how to do what I do.
I hope this goes somewhere. I am excited to see something like this. It fits nicely with my views on what works, health-wise.
Best of luck.
My intuition is that being able to quantify and visualize 'quality-of-life' automatically, will help support diet and lifestyle changes.
What kind of features/UI would you like to see in such a tool? Would it be better is this was generic (e.g. like Facebook), or something specifically for patients with CF?
The CF market per se is pretty small. I wouldn't look to customize it specifically for them. I also think that "good practices" generalize. If you can come up with some parameters that work well with vulnerable populations, it should work regardless of their specific issue.
Features that might be nice: A text message "alert" when early indicators are noticed and perhaps a means for the customer to put in custom "prompts" so that, whatever their medical condition, they can self-remind (for example: that they might have forgotten to take a particular medication). People with medical conditions often become "forgetful" as their condition starts heading into a downward spiral and the sicker they get, the harder it gets to think about what they most need to do to stop the downward spiral. A reminder to do the right things and an alert that their patterns suggest they might be in need of extra care could well be the stitch in time that saves nine.