Health Datapalooza IV: June 3rd-4th, 2013 The Self-Tracking Data Explosion: What People Are Doing, and What They Want Moderator: Abdul Shaikh Program Director, Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch, National Cancer Institute Speakers: Naveen Selvadurai, co-founder, Foursquare Susannah Fox, Associate Director, Pew Research Roger Magoulas, Director, Market Research, O’Reilly Media Jodi Daniel, Director, Office of Policy and Planning, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Over the past half-decade, consumers have rushed to begin tracking their own health- and fitness-related data. From step counts to weights to fitness activities, Americans are amassing enormous stores of data that have the potential to motivate individual change as well as inform broader healthcare-related conversations. This panel will look at how consumers are tracking data, what they are already achieving with this data, and what their expectations are about how the data might be used in the context of more formal healthcare-related interactions and decisions. This session is eligible for continuing education credit.

1. Self-tracking in the U.S.
• 60% of U.S. adults track their weight, diet, or
exercise routine
• 1 in 3 adults track health indicators or symptoms
• 1 in 3 caregivers track their loved one’s health
indicators or symptoms
@SusannahFox 1Pew Internet/California HealthCare Foundation survey

2. “Skinny jeans”
self-tracking
@SusannahFox 2Image courtesy of Rubber Dragon on Flickr
Half keep track in their heads

3. @SusannahFox 3
1 in 3 keep track
using pencil and
paper
1 in 5 use an
app, website, spr
eadsheet, or
device
Image courtesy of KimsSister on Etsy

4. Mobile
• 85% of U.S. adults own a cell phone tracker
• 43% of cell phone owners have downloaded an app of
any kind
• 11% of cell phone owners have a health app
• Most popular health app categories:
– Exercise/fitness
– Diet/food
– Weight
– Watch out for those outliers, though
@SusannahFox 4Pew Internet/California HealthCare Foundation survey

5. @SusannahFox 5
1 in 3 self-trackers share their records or
notes with someone else
Katie McCurdy’s medical timeline
Sharing

6. Impact
• 34% of self-trackers say their data collection has
affected a health decision
• 40% of self-trackers say it has led them to ask a
doctor new questions or seek a second opinion
• 46% of self-trackers say it has changed their overall
approach to health
@SusannahFox 6Pew Internet/California HealthCare Foundation survey