Current challenges and opportunities in active and passive data collection for mobile health sensing:...

Mobile and ubiquitous devices enable health data collection "in a free-living environment" to support applications such as remote patient monitoring and adaptive digital interventions using machine learning (ML). Despite their potential, significant data collection challenges persist, including issues related to user compliance with reporting data, passive data consistency, and authorization. This scoping review identifies and analyzes these challenges, focusing on barriers to effective data collection.

We searched IEEE, ACM, and Web of Science for papers involving training ML models using both active and passive mobile sensing. We used the following search terms: "mobile OR ubiquitous", "EMA", "health", "passive", and "deep learning OR machine learning". We only included papers that collected both passive and active data and excluded papers that used a pre-existing dataset.

A total of 77 studies met the inclusion criteria. These studies utilized smartphones, smartwatches, wearable devices, and environmental sensors for data collection. Several studies reported challenges with participant compliance in active data collection, while passive data collection faced data consistency and authorization issues. Efforts to address these challenges were documented in some but not all studies. Using this information, we outline current challenges and corresponding opportunities for data collection in mobile sensing studies.

ML techniques can reduce participant burden in active data collection by optimizing prompt timing, auto-filling responses, and minimizing prompt frequency. Simplified interfaces such as user-friendly smartwatch prompts can further improve compliance. For passive data collection, techniques such as optimization of recording times to preserve battery life and motivational techniques to encourage proper device use can increase data consistency.

Mobile sensing offers opportunities for developing intelligent mobile health applications but faces data collection challenges with respect to factors such as compliance, consistency, and authorization. Innovations in ML and user interface design show promise for addressing these barriers.