THE INTERNET OF BODIES
Surveilling people’s health data via wearable devices has gained momentum with contact and health tracking during the coronavirus outbreak.
In China, residents must provide their travel and medical data to WeChat and Alipay apps to obtain red, yellow or green ratings that indicate likelihood of having the virus — a green rating is essential for gaining entry to restaurants and public spaces.
While these measures were seen as an acceptable part of pandemic living, authorities are now looking at new uses of the technology. For example, city planners in Hangzhou planners want to launch a broader version of the health-tracking app to regularly monitor their citizens’ health.
Experts have dubbed this the Internet of Bodies — an extension of the Internet of Things where everyday devices are connected via the web to collect and share data. The Internet of Bodies connects people to a network through devices that are worn, implanted or ingested to enable the collection and tracking of their physical data.
Aggregating and analysing large amounts of health-related data could lead to positive outcomes for community healthcare. Not only could it help fight the current pandemic, it could also improve general human wellbeing through the analysis of trends and effective monitoring and treatment.
Globally the value of the smartwatch segment alone is projected to grow 32% to US$18 billion by 2021. Many of us already wear smart fitness trackers such as Apple Watch and Fitbit. Smart thermometers are being used during the pandemic by nurses in the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Centre, where patients’ temperatures are recorded with a sensor and sent to an observation dashboard.
Technology innovation is developing more implantable medical devices, which provides opportunities for new business models and products. For example, “smart” digital pills have edible electronic sensors that can collect data about a patient’s level of physical activity, heart rate and response to treatment, among other information. The world’s first digital chemotherapy pill is now in use in the United States.
However, this also raises questions regarding ethics and privacy as governments and businesses can potentially abuse such technology.
In China, while there was general acceptance about using the health-tracking app to fight the coronavirus outbreak, there has been resistance to the development of a more permanent version.
Some commentators have raised concerns about the state encroaching on everyday behaviours such as sleep, drinking alcohol or smoking, while others fear the broader app’s highly personal data could be accessed by insurers or employers.
Regulatory issues also complicate the development and adoption of this technology. While most countries have stringent regulations about the collection and use of personal health information, these often fail to include the collection of data produced by the new devices, as well as the access and processing of this information by non-health institutions.
The Internet of Bodies is building an unprecedented amount of data that could expand our understanding of human health. It has also broadened the scope of healthcare beyond hospitals and doctors to include lifestyle and environmental factors in our everyday lives. Where this technology goes from here will depend on how authorities and industry leaders mitigate its complex risks.