Smartphones Open a New World for Medical Researchers

When smartphones first began collecting health data such as users’ heart rates and number of steps walked, doctors were dubious about the medical value of information gathered by a phone.

Three years later, doctors have changed their minds, thanks to a series of pioneering medical studies that demonstrated the efficacy of cellphone-based medical research.

The studies have confirmed that surprisingly large numbers of people can be recruited into long-term research studies on mobile phones; that their consent to participate can be obtained much more easily than in conventional studies; and that the medical data obtained can be made safely anonymous, collected and analyzed by advanced algorithms in ways never before imagined. Read the full story to learn more about the growth and value of mobile studies.