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Study Shows Wearable Sensors Can Tell When You Are Getting Sick (phys.org)

skids quotes a report from Phys.Org: Wearable sensors that monitor heart rate, activity, skin temperature and other variables can reveal a lot about what is going on inside a person, including the onset of infection, inflammation and even insulin resistance, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Altogether, the team collected nearly 2 billion measurements from 60 people, including continuous data from each participant's wearable biosensor devices and periodic data from laboratory tests of their blood chemistry, gene expression and other measures. Participants wore between one and eight commercially available activity monitors and other monitors that collected more than 250,000 measurements a day. The team collected data on weight; heart rate; oxygen in the blood; skin temperature; activity, including sleep, steps, walking, biking and running; calories expended; acceleration; and even exposure to gamma rays and X-rays. "We want to study people at an individual level," said Michael Snyder, PhD, professor and chair of genetics. "We have more sensors on our cars than we have on human beings," said Snyder. In the future, he said, he expects the situation will be reversed and people will have more sensors than cars do.

Slashdot reader skids adds: "IT security being in the state it is, will we face the same decision about our actual lives that we already face about our social lives/identities: either risk very real hazards of misuse of your personal data, or get left behind?

55 comments

  1. FIRST by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Do you wanna your boss to know when you are sick???

    1. Re:FIRST by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hi it's 2055 what is a job?

    2. Re: FIRST by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh no I shat myself. I forgot to wear my sensor to warn me I have to shit.

    3. Re:FIRST by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nah, I'd rather have my obamacare plan that costs 2.5x what my pre-obamacare coverage cost, for worse coverage.

  2. Yay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Slap in IoT and bounce your privacy away.

  3. Sensors will be the killer app for Apple Watch etc by Camembert · · Score: 1

    This is an interesting summary. And I do think that an intelligent and wider use of sensors will eventually become the killer app for wearables, because everyone wants to be healthy.
    I did specifically mention the Apple Watch, because it is known that the company has hired people with PHDs on various non-invasive sensors like blood oxygen, but also and importantly, blood sugar, and more. I looked up this tech, and it seems it is not ready for prime time, you'd want it to work out of the box and for everyone no matter what kind of skin you have (not only race, but also how dry). And then there is the challenge of passing regulations, because anything more than a heartbeat sensor requires certification. These certifications take a long time, and in the case of Apple, they wouldn't want to wait 3-5 years to release an Apple Watch with updated sensors, hence if my intuition is right they could be working on sensors in a bracelet which can be certified separately, and which could communicate with the watch using the little port near the lugs.
    Anyway, whatever brand will release a comprehensive health monitoring wearable at a good price may well have a product hit on its hands on the level of an iPhone. Hence the interest of Apple and others in this domain. I find this category of health monitoring devices very interesting since they could truly improve life quality in various ways, detecting disease earlier, tracking diets, etc That is progress to me.
    Of course this being slashdot, many will point out the risk on privacy leaks - like imagine an insurance company gtting hold of your wearable stats. Yes, proper data privacy will be a crucial element in the design of these devices.
    These are interesting times, I think we will see such an upgraded smartwatch (perhaps by Apple, perhaps a clever startup) in the next 5 years, and I think it will be huge.

  4. do you want your GOP care plan to find out? by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 0, Troll

    do you want your GOP care plan to find out?

    1. Re:do you want your GOP care plan to find out? by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      do you want your GOP care plan to find out?

      Die-er quicklier!

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    2. Re:do you want your GOP care plan to find out? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Last year I saw people wearing these sensors that indicated they were mentally ill. The sensor was a badge that said "I'm With Her".

  5. Choice Already Made by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Slashdot reader skids adds: "IT security being in the state it is, will we face the same decision about our actual lives that we already face about our social lives/identities: either risk very real hazards of misuse of your personal data, or get left behind?

    The choice has already been made. We are more than happy to wait in line, pay hundreds of dollars, and sign long term contracts in order to give companies complete control of our personal data. Doesn't matter if that data is location, likes, behaviors, or health. We are more than happy to give it away in return for a few metrics on a pretty graph.

    1. Re:Choice Already Made by arth1 · · Score: 1

      I looked into getting a vitals monitoring device, but decided against it because I couldn't find any that were incapable of sending data elsewhere. I value my personal information highly, and my vital signs are included.

      I think there's only a matter of years before HMOs require some customers to wear such a device, though, or make the premium exceedingly high for those who refuse.

  6. Pfff! by no-body · · Score: 2

    If I get sick, I know it myself. Don't need no App nor sensor, got enough sensors and Apps builtin!

    1. Re:Pfff! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But that is LUDDITE wetware! Only privacy-invading Internet-of-Hacked-Things Wearable Apps can App YOU!!!

    2. Re:Pfff! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Internet-of-Hacked-Things and the first thing I picture is Locutus of Borg. All he wanted was to know if he was sick or not... next thing you know the guy's got Borg implants all over his body. Fuckin' world we live in...

    3. Re:Pfff! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your intimately personal and financial distinctiveness will be added to our own. Resistance is illegal.

  7. Re:Sensors will be the killer app for Apple Watch by ColdWetDog · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Everyone may want to be healthy, but everyone may

    - not want anyone else knowing about how healthy you are or are not
    - not want the data uploaded into 'the cloud'
    - not even want to know what they are doing is unhealthy

    Here be Dragons.

    --
    Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
  8. Studies also show... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... that Big Surveillance lobby confuses Americans with correlation-for-causation, false positives, and shiny toys.

  9. Problem is by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They also tell everybody else. I can't even begin to imagine how this will be abused, whether through screwing with the logs or simple "dynamic pricing"...

  10. Yes, that's why I tell them by raymorris · · Score: 2

    Yes, I do want my boss to know when I'm sick. I'm curious what you're getting at.

    I let my boss know when I'm sick because a) I might not come in to the office, or might not get work done, b) I don't want to pass the ilness to my boss by them spending much time in my office, looking at a screen together (with our faces side-by-side), etc. and c) if they notice I seem a little off, sluggish, or even anti-social, they'll know why.

    Are you suggesting that you lie to your boss and take sick time when you're not sick? If that's what you're talking about, I have a policy of not lying, so that's not an issue for me. (Of course I screw up from time to time, but since anything I do, I do to extremes, my *policy* is to never start lying or stealing, lest I soon lie and steal to extremes.)

    1. Re:Yes, that's why I tell them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Of course, so shallow. Have you considered the other possibility? Being slightly sick, will cause you staying home, for a long period of time.... which result of you being fired, for no reason of course.
      Good look finding a job, as your future boss would have access to the same data, and who in his mind want to hire sick person!!!

    2. Re:Yes, that's why I tell them by dbIII · · Score: 3

      Yes, I do want my boss to know when I'm sick. I'm curious what you're getting at.

      I think they are getting at you not being aware of places where they fire people just for being sick.

    3. Re:Yes, that's why I tell them by MrL0G1C · · Score: 1

      "Are you suggesting that you lie to your boss and take sick time when you're not sick?"

      And what if you are sick and it's an ailment that the sensors don't pick up, that could be very awkward and end up with your boss calling you a liar and telling you to get to work when you really are ill.

      --
      Waterfox - a Firefox fork with legacy extension support, security updates and better privacy by default.
    4. Re:Yes, that's why I tell them by Lennie · · Score: 1

      Let me guess you live in the US ?

      In Europe we do things differently.

      --
      New things are always on the horizon
    5. Re:Yes, that's why I tell them by cheetah_spottycat · · Score: 2

      You're living in Europe, right? In the USA, a different kind of capitalism rules, and there are quite a few dystopian scenarios that I can come up with, if that kind of monitoring is not strictly regulated by privacy laws. On a company wide level, the aggregate health level becomes another key performance indicator. Your employed can and will analyze just how sick their workforce can be before productivity drops. Workload can now be increased and work conditions / safety standards lowered until that sweet spot is reached where profit is maximized. On an individual level, your biodata can not only show if you're sick, it can also calculate the risk of you becoming sick, or maybe even predict it. That is very convenient. If your employer knows you're going go drop out of work in two weeks, the human resources department has enough time to hire a replacement for you, and fire you just in time your absence might cause them a loss in productivity. On top of that, your health data will likely not be collected by your employer, but by some kind of third party. And not only will they closely cooperate with anyone else with who is interested in putting a score on your health (foremost your insurances), but also future employers. Which will of course mean, that this will primarily hit poor workers, who can't afford the best healthcare. And I could go on like that. Maybe I should write a novel :) Worst case:

    6. Re:Yes, that's why I tell them by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

      I think they're suggesting that if HR fires people who are "presick", they'll get a (possibly under the table) discount on health insurance, or other similar issues.

      --
      Your ad here. Ask me how!
    7. Re:Yes, that's why I tell them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In Europe we do things differently.

      Great, so because you do things differently, I assume that means you'll implement the draconian regime need to ensure that tech doesn't get used outside of your boarders?

      Just because you do things differently doesn't mean what you do is inconsequential to others. In the US, this tech is extremely likely to be used exactly in the way the GP described. I.e. As a way to prune out the sickly from the workforce. Which would cause these people to suffer even more than they already do, due to our lack of a modern healthcare system. Worse, it could literally cause their deaths.

      In the same boat, our lack of a modern healthcare system means we cause other suffering around the world due to visitors to the country getting sick from easily treatable diseases that some of our own citizenry can't afford.

      Since you already push your politics on our healthcare system, might I suggest pushing the good aspects of your healthcare system on ours before you start pushing something that could get people killed? Because, if our current administration is any indication, we will take a lot longer to get there otherwise, and people will die as a result.

  11. Re:Sensors will be the killer app for Apple Watch by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 2

    Everyone may want to be healthy, but everyone may

    - not want anyone else knowing about how healthy you are or are not - not want the data uploaded into 'the cloud' - not even want to know what they are doing is unhealthy

    Here be Dragons.

    As a diagnostic tool when visiting the doctor? Sure. But as a full time wearable - that's insane. And all of this needs massive HIPPA restraint.

    Can you imagine the ads we would be served? "Hello there value customer! We see your Temperature has gone up slightly and your heart rate is elevated" This would be a good time to try some Halls Mentho-Lyptus cough drops, or Alka Seltzer plus. We'll just dispatch na Amazon drone to your house, and you'll be well on your way to feelgood town in short order.

    Or the Lawyers...... "Attention, we see you have a stent installed, and many of these have failed. You could be eligible for a substantial cash reward. We've pre-dialed Suckram and Kcam agency, pick up your phone, and be on the way to resolving this great problem."

    And not all bad - "Good evening Mr Olsoc - it appears your wife has finished ovulating, so time for some fun tonight! We think you would simply love some of our KY flavored lovin' gel's, Shall we ship some proto while everyone is getting in the mood?" Now in bacon flavor!

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  12. Re:Sensors will be the killer app for Apple Watch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And the privacy issues really are what's going to spoil health monitoring and even virtual reality. I miss the days when I could realistically use a device completely unplugged from the rest of the world.

  13. What's worse than an idiot? by heldal · · Score: 1

    An idiot with a lot of data, that is. I'm not saying sensors can't help us, but for the general public (that is, non-medical cases), I'd expect these to be as useful as the sleep-ware that tells you if you had good sleep last night. Most people, if getting sick or having slept poorly, will know it already. You could use the same argument for heartbeat sensors when exercising - it's cool and all, but for the layman it's pretty pointless.

    The danger here of course, if being such an integrated part of everyday life, is that people start trusting the numbers more than common sense. However, as long as you need to actively do something or have something in order for it to work, I would guess it'll most likely just be a fad.

  14. Yabut by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If you are in the US why know this in advance.

    You either don't have existing healthcare OR your premiums would rise.

    And personal experience. The old tale that your best chance of surviving a heart attack is to have a damn good one close to the best hospital around. Confirmed.

    If that doesn't happen, you'll be screwed around and on meds for years before you get treatment.

  15. I'm getting the impression... by iMadeGhostzilla · · Score: 3, Interesting

    From scanning the paper briefly is that those are people who would be really thrilled if they had actually discovered something useful and they hope this can lead to important new work, presumably with them being asked to follow up on it. It's almost like a marketing piece. "It is possible that the use of wearables will lead to false alarms and overdiagnosis of disease. The number of false alarms will depend upon the threshold that is set, which can be personalized." It doesn't say how it could be personalized, which sounds critical for a claim like that. "Overall, we envision that these devices could be particularly powerful for individuals who are responsible for the health of others (i.e., parents and caregivers), and perhaps also for those who have historically limited health care access, including groups with low income and/or remote geography." We didn't really check with these people, but we're sure it could work for them, and them, and also them!

    I hope I'm wrong, and that someone more knowledgeable here can confirm this was good research. Because if not, it would be downright irresponsible to suggest burdening people with sensors for an outcome that could be not just not useful but possibly harmful. That would fall under "academic prostitution". Again I'm hoping this is just my ignorance and laziness to read the article carefully.

    1. Re:I'm getting the impression... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No... you right :-)

      academic click bait.

    2. Re:I'm getting the impression... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Fitness sensors in general are stupid until we can train kids from birth to ignore them day-to-day but use them for the long term. The biggest problem with all these sensors is taking the data too seriously and focusing on it. Even a whole mess of sensors are inferior to just noticing if you are gaining weight or not. Looking at what these senors record is like a tiny window into the world - and if you look through that window and see good things it can lead you to think everything else is good. Well let me tell you - most of these sensors just make people feel like they have "done enough" and thus "are healthy".

      I have had several fitness trackers and the only thing I found is how laughable the results are. I am the proper weight an all of that but I am not "athletic" yet looking at my fitness tracker you would think I was a god damn Olympian.

      While these sensors do probably instill some good habits in people, I believe people think these habits somehow solve everything. The "standing desk" trend is hilarious. Sure it is better than sitting but FFS, standing every hour is not a "fitness goal". Physical health revolves around thousands of inputs every day and these sensors isolate a few of the inputs and put a focus on them. This focus often means people think they are health because the sensor told them they were - this "healthy mindset" leads to unhealthy behavior that isn't tracked as well (mainly calorie intake). One gummy bear a day is going to offset your entire "stand for 1 minute every hour" health goal.

  16. Re:Sensors will be the killer app for Apple Watch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    everyone wants to be healthy.

    Reminds me of the old adage that 'everyone wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.

    I am healthy (in the sense that I rarely get sick, have never checked into a hospital [other than my initial visit popping outta my mom], never broke a bone, never got a stitch), but I treat myself like shit. I drink and smoke daily, rarely exercise, diet is pure garbage.

    Point is, I love being healthy -- but I have zero interest in my blood oxygen, caloric intake, steps walked/run (stumbled, in my case [i'm a drunk, 'member?]).

  17. Idiocracy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    this one goes in your mouth and this one goes up your butt. ...... No wait, I got that backwards.

  18. Hard for people post-Internet to realize by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Life goes on without social media. The world as it was in the mid-1990s still exists in between your furtive glances at your smartphone's notifications.

  19. misuse of your personal data by l3v1 · · Score: 1

    "misuse of your personal data" - Well, that's not going to happen. No insurance company will want to now your approved sensor data score before calculating your fees, copays and deductibles and they won't ever give penalties for not wearing your sensors. No lending company will want to know your score before financing your car, house, etc. and calculating your rates. No company will want to know your score before hiring you for the long or short term or estimating work capability or endurance. No airline will want to know your score to calculate how high a risk you are and calculate your ticket price or extra insurance fees. Nobody will do this, all will be well, and all this will only benefit you all. Nobody will be left behind, there'll just be some who'll never get there.

    --
    I am putting myself to the fullest possible use, which is all I can think that any conscious entity can ever hope to do.
  20. Prediction. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    After 3 generations of ease, the people had forgotten what they had created. It was then that they began view the predictions of the machine as prophecy and the God Google was created.

  21. Maybe there's an easier way? by argStyopa · · Score: 1

    I can tell I'm getting sick without sensors, generally.

    And it's a fuckton cheaper.

    --
    -Styopa
  22. Another clever plan for cashing on big data by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So basically this is just playing in the hands of insurance companies and big pharmas who will greatly benefit from knowing these intimate things about you. And if it ever becomes a reality they will make sure they are "in the loop" of getting this data because they somehow need it "to serve you better" (actually to serve their own interests and those of your employer but they won't tell you that).

  23. Hillary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If Hillary got one of these, it would be going off continuously.

  24. A few words in, your last sentence came to mind by raymorris · · Score: 1

    > Maybe I should write a novel :)

    Funny, that's *exactly* what I thought after I read your other post and the first few words of this one. "This guy should write dystopian science fiction." You're good at choosing the right words to make utter fiction sound almost real.

  25. Boss wouldn't notice I didn't work for weeks? by raymorris · · Score: 1

    > Being slightly sick, will cause you staying home, for a long period of time.... which result of you being fired, for no reason of course.

    And if I did *not* tell them I'm sick they wouldn't notice that I stayed home for a few weeks?

    Also I'm confused, you said "staying home, for a long period of time.... which result of you being fired, for no reason of course." Is this a new form of English or did you say the reason the person had to be replaced was because they stayed home for a long period of time? Maybe you have a job where you don't actually do anything useful, so it doesn't matter if you stay home for a long period of time?

  26. Welcome to now by jbmartin6 · · Score: 1

    We already have all these sensors built in. No need to add them on the outside. The problem is the operator either isn't aware of the messages or tells itself lies to create a different explanation.

    --
    This posting is provided 'AS IS' without warranty of any kind, implied or otherwise.
  27. Left behind is OK by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm fine with that. Once you get older you realize that very little of "progress" is truly progressive at all. I pick and choose and am "left behind" in many areas, yet am happier for it.

  28. The Halo by wolverine1999 · · Score: 1

    In the Continuum tv show, this device existed, called the Halo.
    Will this infringe on our privacy?
    http://thevarguy.com/computer-...

  29. More Sensors? by tsqr · · Score: 1

    "We have more sensors on our cars than we have on human beings," said Snyder.

    I'm pretty sure I have more sensors in my little finger than there are in any car.

  30. Re:Sensors will be the killer app for Apple Watch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is an interesting summary. And I do think that an intelligent and wider use of sensors will eventually become the killer app for wearables, because everyone wants to be healthy.

    But, you can't be healthy if you use killer apps.
    (or are some dead people healthier than others?)

  31. Re:Sensors will be the killer app for Apple Watch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Here's some news for you. Not just watches and sensors, people also know when they're getting sick...

  32. "We have more sensors on our cars... by gemtech · · Score: 1

    What kind of statement is that? Of course we do. And how does he propose to power all of these sensors? Silly person.

    --
    Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein
  33. Re:Sensors will be the killer app for Apple Watch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Your ideas intrigue me and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

  34. Re:Sensors will be the killer app for Apple Watch by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

    Your ideas intrigue me and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

    We have two - are you interested in the get off my lawn version, or the big tinfoil hat one?

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  35. H+ by mcswell · · Score: 1

    Perhaps they should call it H+. You know, Health plus...

  36. Shooting off ur cocksucker again troll liar? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "I don't shoot my mouth off without knowing what I'm talking about" - by raymorris (2726007) on Thursday December 31, 2015 @09:29AM (#51215379)

    Raymorris you shoot your mouth off f'ing up in 2 security fuckups https://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=5351503&cid=47379233/ & https://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=5351503&cid=47374033/ + raymorris = scriptkiddie https://politics.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=8895203&cid=51726265/

    &

    Tell us how ONLY 'newer script kiddie tools' have stringlength built in (when PASCAL had it for ages - my fav tool) https://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=8472509&cid=51114383/ YOU BLUNDERING WANNABE!

    APK

    P.S.=> You like to talk behind others' backs like the gossiping bitch TROLL LIAR you are raymorris https://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=9880997&cid=53312265/ well, here I am letting YOU TALK in those links, showing your FAILS wannabe ... apk