
Ask HN: Why isn't there an awesome mobile personal health experience? - hsikka
I want to be able to see easy to understand analytics combining my lab results, checkup information, sleep &amp; exercise data, and genetic information into actionable, preventative and predictive results. If someone works to connect all the EHR systems, this seems like a purely UX + Data&#x2F;ML issue. What do you think?
======
sidlls
Basically every application is "purely a UX + data" issue. ML is only
sometimes a good solution. In this context, the "UX + data" issue is terribly
hard.

The reason why you don't have an all-in-one solution is because it's
incredibly challenging and expensive. Where do you start? If you try to
aggregate by provider you're looking at everything from modern applications
for EHR to paper record keeping. If you try at the insurer level you're
looking at entrenched players who have a profit motivated interest to
explicitly not have such a product, long lags between service date and the
data being available, and terrible data quality. Self reporting? Good luck
with quality or consistency. This doesn't even begin to cover the regulatory
issues and monetization.

~~~
hsikka
Well said. What if you go to the consumer first, and build a beautiful,
gamified experience that deals with non regulated data: i.e. fitness, sleep,
and genetics. I imagine if you get to a critical enough mass of consumers, you
could gain leverage over the incumbents and incentivize providers to help you
integrate?

~~~
linesweep
The experience you propose sounds like Fitbit + 23andMe, which sounds great,
personally. Unfortunately, I don't think providers would want to dig their own
grave. sidlls is also right - regulatory issues would be a huge headache.

------
linesweep
I agree that an all-in-one platform for this is sorely needed! It would be
great to keep track of health without hopping from system to system AND use
data from genetics, for example, to complement data from a physical to support
a diagnosis.

The first possible issue I think of is privacy and HIPAA.

~~~
hsikka
I feel the same way!

Quick q: Is this the sort of thing you would pay for, ex $5 a month? Or would
you expect it for free?

~~~
linesweep
A platform that integrates labs, records, patient-provided data, etc. would
definitely be worth over $5 a month. A platform that is smart enough to
interpret the data and offer lifestyle adjustments (treatments/drugs could be
trickier) might approach the role of a health coach or doctor. I'm imagining
EMRs with a Fitbit interface on steroids. I don't believe it would or should
replace doctors, but such a system that gives the patient so much information
would change the patient-provider relationship.

TLDR; yes, I would pay a $5 subscription for something so powerful. :)

