Big data and health in our daily lives? smart health connected scales

Jean-Pierre Elkabbach and Agnès Buzyn Minister of Health, discussed on August 31 on CNews the use of personal data concerning health and Big data. A thorny subject, essential to deal with, in view of the explosion of sales of health trackers all over the world.

On August 31, Agnès Buzyn, Minister of Health, was the guest of Jean-Pierre Elkabbach on the CNews channel. After explaining in detail her roadmap, the former president of the college of the High Authority for Health (HAS) has addressed a delicate issue, that of the use of big data in medicine. She therefore speaks of an extraordinary tool that will allow better medicine, while not forgetting to put doctors back at the center of the debate by explaining that they must be at the heart of the analysis of this big data. understand, big data yes, but not without the doctors. Indeed, they are more and more numerous to denounce a "Ubérisation" of medicine, using technologies to set them aside. It is true that the question may arise, let's take the example of smart health connected scales.

Technological and scientific progress

To illustrate our point, we will take the example of a scale which has had some success on the "Terraillon Web Coach Pop". This scale fulfills the classic functions of a smart health connected scale, obviously evaluation of the classic weight, then transmission of data to a smart health connected tool (smartphone or tablet): weight curve over a week, a month or a year, weight situation to date given, BMI and fat mass index. In a few seconds you can have a lot of technical data. We can therefore analyze this data yourself and therefore adapt his diet as well as his physical activity. This is useful when you want to follow a program that suits us, but it can lead to deviations. This is one of the sensitive points of smart health connected health.

Watch out for the headlong rush

In addition to the data mentioned, this balance also allows share these results online. If this functionality can fulfill its primary role of follow-up and motivator, it can also lead to a real obsession with performance. In an article dating from 2014, Madame Le Figaro brings together testimonies from people who have been caught up in this hellish spiral. When a doctor or nutritionist follows up on appointments spaced several weeks apart, the smart health connected scale may impose a daily check which can be dangerous. This can therefore be associated with eating disorders.

The smart health connected scale: a practical tool that should not make medical monitoring disappear

The word of the Minister of Health takes on its full meaning here. Yes big data can be useful, they should not obscure the part of medical monitoring. If you buy a smart health connected scale for the purpose of following a special diet, this cannot be done without consulting the advice of a doctor. The use of big data in medicine raises many questions. In an article devoted to the issue, "1 & 1" reminds us that "Despite the opportunities in these areas, many ethical questions remain". This brings us back to the debate on self medicalization and its dangers. The data provided by the smart health connected balance must be taken as a source of information, as indications but must not dictate the behavior to be followed, this cannot be done without a doctor.

Big data are in the process of revolutionize many areas and medicine is not to be outdone. New data appear, all of which can be analyzed very quickly. But an ethical question arises, can we use it without being a doctor? smart health connected scales are the perfect example. If they are useful and can provide a lot of information, they should not change our behavior without the advice of an expert. They can accompany, in any case treat.

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