This app is still in beta but this is the sort of project we all need to keep our eye on – how can personal data be used to benefit the people providing the data and not just the corporations who want that data? Let’s hope this project lives up to its promise. -LFF
Excerpt:
[The Autoimmune Citizen Science app] allows patients to track their symptoms, treatments, lab tests and various other things. The hope is that by visualizing their health, and sharing their data, the system will be able to spot patterns and correlations to help individuals make better sense of their own health.
The anonymized and aggregated data will shed some light on what is working for others. For instance, if a user is interested in a specific treatment, they can explore the feedback from other users before making a decision. It places autoimmune disease inside a much bigger picture.
[T]he app has received considerable attention from the research community who are excited about the potential of it to shed much needed light onto chronic illness. There is considerable potential for such approaches not just to help individuals, but also the doctors and researchers that are helping to treat the diseases.
Image: Autoimmune Citizen Science logo, as it appears on SciStarter
Source: Citizen science and its growing role in medical research