DIY Health

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= novel apps and devices will increasingly let consumers discreetly track and manage their health by themselves. [1]


Discussion

From Trendwatching.com:

"Apple’s App Store currently offers 9,000 mobile health apps (including nearly 1,500 cardio fitness apps, over 1,300 diet apps, over 1,000 stress and relaxation apps, and over 650 women’s health apps) and by mid-2012, this number is expected reach 13,000 (Source: MobiHealthNews, September 2011).

Other positive implications for consumers tracking their own state of health include less necessity for potentially intrusive and embarrassing trips to the doctor, or for those that do need medical attention and supervision, a much more convenient and accessible way for their doctor to keep a remote eye on any troublesome conditions or changes.

Some further stats: research company Technavio predicts that the global mobile health applications market will reach USD 4.1 billion by 2014, up from USD 1.7 billion in 2010." (http://trendwatching.com/trends/12trends2012/?diyhealth)


Examples

Jawbone’s Up is a wristband personal tracking device that tracks a user’s moving, eating and sleeping patterns. The device syncs with an iPhone app, and users can set the device to vibrate when they have been inactive for a period, compete against friends and even earn real life rewards for completing activity challenges.

Pain Free Back, an interactive back pain relief product, lets users enter specific data as they’re taken on a guided discovery about their back pain. Exercise solutions are offered afterwards.

The Play It Down app enables users to test their hearing. The app offers several interactive features including 'The Ear Knob' that lets friends compare who can hear the highest frequencies, and 'The Volume Zone' which measures sound volume in decibels.