Session Introduction: Digital health technology data in biocomputing: Research efforts and considerations for...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical research
• Digital health technologies
• Wearable sensors

Background:

• Digital health technologies (DHTs) and wearable sensors are rapidly advancing with significant private sector investment.
• Academic institutions are increasingly collaborating with tech companies to leverage DHTs for clinical research.
• Most wearable sensor data is held by private companies, limiting academic research access.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore research leveraging DHTs and wearable sensor data.
• To highlight novel analytical methods for DHT data.
• To address diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in digital health research.

Main Methods:

• Solicited research results and studies utilizing DHTs and wearable sensor data.
• Encouraged submissions on novel analytical methods and DEI in digital health research.
• Focused on opportunities for expanding and democratizing academic research with sensor data.

Main Results:

• Growing use of DHTs and wearable sensor data in biomedical research.
• Significant private sector involvement and investment in DHT development.
• Limited availability of private sector DHT data to the academic research community.
• Opportunities exist for innovative analytics and methods with expanded data access.

Conclusions:

• Expanded access to private sector DHT data can drive innovative research.
• Addressing DEI is crucial for equitable advancement in digital health research.
• Leveraging wearable sensor data holds potential for improved patient care, early disease detection, and health preservation.