Open Government Data: Not Just Good Policy, But Economically Sound
Spark entrepreneurial activity: One of the few bright spots during the recession has been the staggering number of location-based apps and services that have been created, such as FourSquare, or Asthmapolis — which helps asthma sufferers track what locations may trigger an attack. We may forget that it has only been since the year 2000 that entrepreneurs have been able to capitalize on the U.S. government’s GPS signals to create them.
Companies like Massive Healthand Asthmapolis are founded on creating innovative ways to collect and interpret large amounts of data. By making data more accessible, they hope to impact individual behavior and public health surveillance.
Know thyself: The Quantified Self devotees who live by numbers
Asthmapolis links sensors attached to the inhalers used by asthma patients when they have attacks to smartphones, which gather data on where and when they are used. Tracking this information over time helps patients identify the triggers that make their conditions worse. Patient tests are due to start next year.
Data-Driven Asthma Management
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High-tech inhaler from Madison company would help doctors track asthma attacks
Où va la “quantification de soi” ?
“Pourtant, ces types de partages permettent aussi de créer des cartographies utiles, comme Asthmapolis (vidéo). Asthmapolis est une cartographie des zones irritantes pour les personnes atteintes d’asthme construit à partir d’inhalateur dotés d’un petit GPS permettant à leurs utilisateurs de cartographier les endroits où ils s’en servent simplement en les utilisant, sans avoir à renseigner une quelconque information supplémentaire.”
“Either way, the upshot would be better lives for patients in the short term and, if all went well, a true understanding of the triggers of this debilitating and occasionally life-threatening condition.”
“And track the Quantified Selfers do, often aided by new products designed for them: Zeo headbands, said to monitor sleep phases; Nike plus, shoes with a distance, speed and time sensor embedded in them; Asthmapolis, which records the location, time and date of each breath so asthmatics can monitor their attacks. Every bit of data is shared in meetings so it can be considered in the aggregate.”
Practical Applications for Government Data, Online
“Another expo winner is Asthmapolis. Asthma patients are given an inhaler that is equipped with a GPS monitor that collects location data whenever they inhale. This information can be used to track the spots where people have asthma symptoms, and to identify people whose asthma is not under control.”
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“These tools are simultaneously cool and useful. They’re also just the beginning; there are countless ways to use data to improve society that we haven’t yet figured out….The people behind Asthmapolis distribute an attachment to asthma inhalers with built-in GPS, and they are using this technology to help asthma sufferers better understand what sets off their attacks.”
Mobile Health Apps Are on the Rise
“An early signal of what might be possible in this space is the platform Asthmapolis. Asthmapolis is a GPS inhaler-tracker app that enables users to track their own asthma conditions. The technology contributes to the public health understanding of the connections between asthma and place (where environmental triggers may be greater in some locations versus others).”
Four ‘Get-To-Know-Yourself’ Healthy Tools
“Asthmapolis: monitors asthma events with GPS tracker embedded in an inhaler and synchronizes with a mobile diary to help users manage their own asthma with health professionals.”
“[A] lot more could be done to improve asthma surveillance and the clinical day-to-day management of asthma simply by capturing information about where people with asthma use inhalers and when.”
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“This data-led, web-inspired movement — branded Health 2.0 or open medicine — is boosting patient-power too.”
Study to Identify Rural Triggers of Asthma Attacks
“To identify triggers that cause asthma attacks, a research study is currently underway that uses GPS enabled inhalers to record when and where medicine was needed. Collecting enough information over a substantial enough amount of time may help people spot which locations and environmental factors trigger an asthmatic reaction.”
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“We’re seeing a very exciting explosion in the number of small, personal devices as well as sensor networks and mobile phone apps that are dedicated to structuring, collecting and aggregating quality healthcare data,”
iPhone Apps That Could Save Your Life
“Asthmapolis uses a special GPS-enabled device that attaches to an inhaler and automatically records the time and location when asthma patients use their inhalers. This data is automatically transmitted to the patient’s doctor, while aggregate data is available to asthma researchers and public health agencies.”
“[The] device, the County Health Rankings and the other data-crunching tools offer the promise of better informed decision-making by patients, doctors, public health officials and policy-makers.”
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“Asthmapolis aggregates the data voluntarily provided by users and gives it to physicians, scientists and health agencies. The goal is to identify environmental exposures that trigger attacks.”
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“Former CDC epidemiologist David Van Sickle was another one of seven developers called on to showcase innovative healthcare data-handling tools from the podium during the kickoff session last week.”
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“Beyond constant self-monitoring, the real-time Web is changing the medical and health fields on a larger, macro level as well, with crowdsourced solutions like Asthmapolis.”
Asthmapolis – Asthma inhaler tracking
“Simply brilliant idea which aggregates data from people, epidemiolgists and health researchers to build up a objective data about asthma in an area.”
On the Lookout for New Asthma Tools
“New technology that can track symptoms and medication dosages anytime and anywhere has the potential to usher asthma management into the emerging mobile information society.”
Finding “Ground Zero” of Asthma Causes
“Van Sickle plans to use global positioning technology to find previously unknown causes of the lung disease and help doctors better monitor whether treatment is controlling symptoms and improving quality of life.”
NewsCAP: An asthma inhaler equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) capability
“An asthma inhaler equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) capability could allow researchers to track when and where asthma attacks occur-and reveal previously unknown environmental triggers and hot spots.”
Tracking asthma: UW-Madison researcher’s ‘smart’ inhaler pinpoints where and when attacks occur
“‘Asthma etiology (causation) is not well understood. For each patient there’s a set of triggers that might exacerbate their asthma. It might be pollen, pets, changes in the weather, stress,’ Magzamen says, adding that Van Sickle’s device can provide the time and location that the inhaler is used, allowing her and other researchers to better understand why it’s used each time.”
GPS mapping for asthma triggers
“’Established risk factors for asthma do not explain its global prevalence patterns and time trends,’says Van Sickle. ‘Studies of epidemic asthma have demonstrated that understanding the locations where asthma exacerbations occur can help identify important new exposures.’”
Using GPS to track down asthma triggers
“Researchers from the University of Wisconsin–Madison recently launched a study using GPS devices to monitor where and when patients use their inhalers, a technology they hope will uncover unrecognized triggers of asthma symptoms.”
“How might the technology that keeps you from getting lost in your car lead to better asthma control?”
Canada Discovery Channel, Daily Planet segment
David Van Sickle was a guest on the Daily Planet program, broadcast on Discovery Channel Canada on April 16, 2009.
Asthmap: GPS Tracking Inhaler Maps Asthma Hotspots
“Obviously, with the help of GPS technology, researchers can get a faster handle on what’s making people sick.”
Researcher plans to use GPS to study asthma triggers
“You wouldn’t expect GPS tech to have an impact on asthma research, but the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s David Van Sickle says it will — he’s planning on tagging sufferers so he can learn when and where they reach for their inhalers.”
Inhalers with GPS may track asthma triggers: Researcher hopes to learn when and where asthma attacks strike
“Eventually, Van Sickle, who previously worked for the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, would like to have thousands of people using the GPS-equipped inhalers so that accurate statistics can be complied about when and where asthma strikes.”
Unique Asthma Study to Get Underway at UW Wisconsin Public Radio: Running time 1:26
“Research studies get underway all the time in Wisconsin. But as far we can tell, only one will have asthma sufferers carry an inhaler with a GPS device attached to it.”
Disease detective plans GPS-enabled asthma inhaler
“Van Sickle envisions a time when his technology can help researchers discover exactly why people suffer from asthma.”
Researcher uses GPS to find asthma causes
“Van Sickle plans to use global positioning technology to find previously unknown causes of the lung disease and help doctors better monitor whether treatment is controlling symptoms and improving quality of life.”