Smartphone Curious trend for self-monitoring

Stress or urine: The trend towards self-monitoring has curious excesses

04/03/2014

Analyze your own urine and alcohol consumption with your smartphone. Or test his stress level: In the meantime, the trend towards self-monitoring has taken on somewhat curious proportions. But doctors see in it quite potential.

Self-monitoring will reach new dimensions
Do not just brush your teeth and wash your face, but also measure your mood afterwards. It may sound absurd, but soon this could be a matter of course for some. So-called fitness apps, with the help of which users can measure their running pace or their daily steps, have been enjoying great popularity for some time. But the trend towards self-optimization is still driving other blooms. Measure your own personal well-being, analyze your own urine via smartphone or at least the daily consumption of alcohol? „If you have the chance to measure something, you can seemingly manage it“, says trend researcher Peter Wippermann, who wrote a book entitled „The age of self-optimizers“ has published. In the coming years, according to his prognosis, the so-called „Self Tracking“ (Self-monitoring) to reach a new dimension. „In a society where everyone has to do a lot more work, having a healthy body is an advantage.“

Determine diseases based on urine photos
There are already enough apps for the alleged improvement of life and health. The trend researcher calls about the application „Play-it-down“, with which users can test their hearing. In addition, the Telekom has the app „Stress manager“ brought to help keep the personal stress level under control. The application „Ucheck“ is more for hard-boiled, it promises to determine diseases based on photos of urine. There are also internet sites, such as „Trackyourhappiness“ or „Mood Scope“, with which one could measure his mood. And the website „Drinking Diary“ should help monitor your own alcohol consumption. The meaning of the new trend was expressed by Johannes Schenkel, who is responsible for the German Medical Association for Telemedicine: „It is first to be welcomed when people are concerned with their health.“ He relativized however: „However, the flood of apps makes it difficult to figure out which ones are really beneficial.“ In addition, the effect has not yet been scientifically studied.

Self-monitoring trend may have benefits
„There are apps that can be used to take photos of skin changes. We do not know exactly by which criteria the recordings are evaluated“, so the doctor. „In the end, it may be the skin cancer and valuable time has passed before the patient goes to the doctor.“ However, the self-optimization trend could also have advantages, especially if the data is transmitted to experts. Central Health Insurance in Cologne, for example, equips Type 2 diabetes patients with an iPhone, a pedometer and a blood glucose meter to better monitor the disease. Schenkel from the German Medical Association sees this as a positive development. „If a diabetes patient has a better overview of his or her values ​​and can easily provide them to his or her doctor, the course of the disease could improve“ This of course only set the case that the user wants to disclose this personal information at all.

In the future, holistic measuring instruments
The individual excesses of self-monitoring should soon be merged, says trend researcher Wippermann: „The future belongs to the holistic measuring instruments that scan the physical, mental and spiritual health.“ For example, an app called Reporter already queries several aspects, such as weather, steps taken, and the society in which you are. Thus, users can track closely, which affects their day positively or negatively. Partly annoying but also the application itself: „She asks me the same five questions every day - and sometimes at night“, such a complaint of a user on iTunes. „This is boring.“

Supplement to existing therapy options
The market is booming not just for self-monitoring apps, but more generally for health. Hundreds of thousands of applications for smartphones and tablets, which are dedicated to specific health aspects, are now available in the app stores. However, at the end of last year, the Health Information System (afgis) e.V. „However, the use of this technology also entails incalculable risks because there are no binding manufacturing specifications for producers.“ Although health apps could certainly provide useful assistance with various illnesses, every user should be aware that they can not replace the visit to the doctor. They are to be evaluated only as a supplement to the existing treatment options. (Sb)