Quantified Self Files for IPO: Pioneering the Future of Personal Health Data
Gary Wolf’s opening remarks were as follows: “After falling asleep at 12:45 a.m. last night, I woke up at 6:10 a.m. this morning. I woke up once during the night; my heart rate was 61 beats per minute, and my blood pressure was 127/74. I exercised for zero minutes yesterday, so I could not calculate my maximum heart rate per minute during exercise. I consumed approximately 600 milligrams of caffeine and 0 milligrams of alcohol. My Narcissistic Personality Inventory score, or NPI-16, was a reassuring 0.31.”
This is Gary Wolf’s 2010 TED Talk. Thanks to his efforts, the concept of “Quantified Self” (QS) rapidly gained popularity worldwide.What Is Quantified Self?？Quantified Self is commonly translated as “Self-Quantification.” It generally refers to the use of advanced technologies, such as sensors and wearable devices, to collect data on various aspects of an individual’s daily life, particularly health status and physical activity, as well as data on nutritional intake (e.g., food and air) and physiological states (e.g., mood and blood pressure).
This form of self-monitoring, which combines wearable devices with microcomputers, is also known as “lifelogging.” Others refer to this type of self-monitoring as “self-tracking,” “auto-analytics,” “body hacking,” “self-quantifying,” or “sousveillance.” In simple terms, the Quantified Self movement leverages science and technology to enable self-tracking, thereby enhancing self-awareness and self-understanding. Advances in the Quantified Self allow individuals to monitor physiological data that was previously inaccessible, while making the collection of such bodily data simpler and more convenient. People can even use advanced devices to self-monitor metrics such as insulin levels and microbial cells within the body.
According to relevant materials, the earliest use of wearable microcomputers for self-monitoring is considered to have begun in the 1970s. The term “Quantified Self” was first coined by Gary Wolf and Kevin Kelly, editors at Wired Magazine, in 2007. In 2010, Gary Wolf delivered a TED Talk specifically on the topic of “Quantified Self.” By May 2011, the first Quantified Self Summit was held in Mountain View, California. Gary Wolf once stated, “We can gather data from anything we do.”
Gary Wolf's TED Talk Video:
Currently, a global “Quantified Self Movement” has emerged, with hundreds of Quantified Self organizations distributed across 34 countries. Major organizations are located in San Francisco, New York, and Boston in the United States, and London in the United Kingdom, each boasting more than 1,000 members.
The main components of the Quantified Self in the field of internet healthcare include
Food Consumption
Calorie Intake
Jogging Distance
Steps
Emotion
Blood Oxygen Content
Blood Glucose Levels
Sleep Data
Exercise Level
Meanwhile, with the advancement of technology, numerous novel sensors, wearable devices, and tracking devices integrated with smartphones have been invented, enabling individuals to monitor an increasing number of physical health parameters. This provides healthcare professionals with more information and a stronger basis for decision-making.Quantified SelfApplications ofThe slogan of Quantified Self is: “If you can measure it, you can change it!” By emphasizing data collection and analysis, Quantified Self enables individuals to gain a more comprehensive understanding of their physical health, allowing them to adjust their lifestyles and behavioral habits based on relevant health data.
In most cases, the diverse data acquired through Quantified Self can be automatically collected and stored via sensors, wearable devices, smartphones, and other technologies; however, certain individual data points still require manual entry. Subsequently, the data obtained through Quantified Self is analyzed to identify potential health threats, thereby encouraging individuals to adopt healthier lifestyles and behavioral habits.
The main applications of Quantified Self include:Medical Health APPSmartphone apps and related device applications are widely used to track and visualize data such as food intake, nutrition, body weight, exercise, blood oxygen levels, sleep, and calorie expenditure. They continuously monitor changes in these metrics to enable users to take appropriate measures for a healthier lifestyle.Corporate Employee Health MonitoringAn increasing number of companies are ramping up their investments in Quantified Self devices and processes to guide employees toward healthier lifestyles and choices, thereby reducing employee health insurance costs while boosting morale and productivity.Infant MonitoringThis can be considered a branch of the Quantified Self movement, referring to the continuous monitoring of infants’ various activities and physiological data, thereby enabling parents and physicians to gain deeper insights into infants’ physical condition and health status.
However, the application of Quantified Self in infants has been questioned by many experts, who doubt whether such monitoring would be effective.Networked Health SystemsHealth data collected through extensive sensors and wearable devices are transmitted to a central server for further analysis. This approach will enable more comprehensive health monitoring and is expected to be widely adopted in the future.Quantified SelfCurrent Market Landscape and Future Development TrendsIn 2013, the renowned U.S. consulting firm Gartner predicted that the wearable electronics market for the Quantified Self would reach $5 billion by 2016.
According to an IHS report, global shipments of sensors and wearable devices will reach 210 million units in 2018, generating $30 billion in revenue. It is important to note that this figure encompasses not only the healthcare sector but also the infotainment and military-industrial markets.
A survey from On World predicts that shipments of wearable devices will increase by 552% from 2012 to 2017.
According to market analysts, over 500 million smartphone users were projected to use at least one healthcare app by 2015, and by 2018, at least 50% of the 3.4 billion smartphone and tablet users worldwide would have downloaded mobile health apps. The market, valued at $6.6 billion in 2013, was expected to reach $20.7 billion by 2018, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25.5%.
Future sensors may even be implanted directly into the skin.
The main factors driving the development of Quantified Self include:
People's Growing Health Awareness
The Declining Costs of Sensors and Wearable Devices
Implementation of Miniaturized Physiological Sensors
Implementation of Integrated Sensors in User Devices and Accessories
The Intensification of Population Aging
The Rising Incidence of Chronic Diseases
People are increasingly focusing on disease prevention rather than treatment.
The Prevalence of Smartphones
The main factors hindering the development of the Quantified Self are:
Many sensors lack sufficient precision, and the information they acquire is of little value.
Difficulty in Collecting Usable Healthcare-Related Data
Concerns About Data Security and Privacy
Lack of Clear Internet Healthcare Communication Protocols and Related Industry Standards
Regulatory Issues
Interoperability Issues
VCBeatTrending English Terms in Internet HealthcareChief Advisory Consultant: Zhao XinyuanCurrently serves as the CEO of Beijing Intechlong Technology Co., Ltd. and concurrently holds a position as a member of the Technical Steering Committee of HL7 China.
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