Research for predictive preemptive medicine using pre-medical lifelog data and health checkup

Abstract

The recent development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), including smartphones and other devices, has been remarkable, and it is becoming possible for people to carry various types of personal information, including health information. In September 2019, the Study Group on the Promotion of Personal Health Records (PHR) for National Health Promotion (currently the Health Information Working Group of the Study Group on the Utilization of Health, Medical and Nursing Care Information) was established under the leadership of the government with the aim of managing and utilizing personal health records (PHR) by individuals using their personal numbers (MyNumber). As one of the key issues is 'ensuring interoperability', the lifelog data, which is a digital record of an individual's life and activities, is managed in an incompatible way due to differences in the development of each provider. There is a need for standardisation so that data can be transferred, even when an individual switches between devices and applications, such as mobile phones and tablets. In addition, as PHRs are becoming increasingly integrated and used to cover an individual's life course, there is a need to understand the needs and realities of these systems.

This project focuses on the fact that the six national centres (6NCs) specialize in disease areas ranging from fetal life to old age. The 6NCs will gather knowledge on the accumulation of each item. Then, in cooperation with the relevant ministries and agencies, as well as companies that implement wearable devices (computers that are worn on a part of the body such as the arm), we will create a draft standard for lifelog data, and aim to build the foundation of a PHR framework that can contribute to therapeutic interventions to predict and prevent the onset of diseases before they occur, which is known as preemptive medicine.

Perspectives

• Individuals will be able to review data over a series of their own different age periods and careers including pregnancy and childbirth.
• The collection of standardised data can be used for collaborative research between industry, government and academia, providing the basis for the development of a sustainable national healthcare system.
• The results of this research will be used to develop draft guidance for standardisation so that they can be used widely, not just within the 6NC, and will be developed and implemented in Japan in collaboration with industry, government and academia.

Comments from principal researcher

In order to have good health and longevity, it is important to develop a healthy lifestyle. And you can't be healthy if you don't enjoy your life. At present, various devices have been developed as tools to collect a record of our daily habits (lifelog) without any burden and to give us appropriate advice and awareness. However, research and development is being carried out on a disease-by-disease basis, and there is still a lack of shared use of data.

This project aims to create a common platform for lifelog data by linking the results of research using lifelog data for the prevention of various diseases. This is expected to expand the range of devices used by everyone and make it easier and more cost effective to extend in society. We also believe that this will lead to the prevention of disease through social implementation.