Changes

Though fitness bands like fitbit are quite popular, health tracking has a lot more to offer.  This page is mainly intended to encourage more tracking. It is based off an argument map.<ref>https://www.kialo.com/everyone-should-health-track---self-quantify-49787</ref> If you are not convinced by argument, please read [[Self Tracking, Types Movements Communities|Self Tracking Movements]] for a show of popularity of the practice or [[List of Interesting Self-Tracking Results|Interesting Results]] for examples of successes. Sub-sections are ordered by similarity not importance.   

Though fitness bands like [[Fitbit]] are quite popular, health tracking has a lot more to offer.  This page is mainly intended to encourage more tracking. It is based off an argument map.<ref>https://www.kialo.com/everyone-should-health-track---self-quantify-49787</ref> If you are not convinced by argument, please read [[Self Tracking, Types Movements Communities|Self Tracking Movements]] for a show of popularity of the practice or [[List of Interesting Self-Tracking Results|Interesting Results]] for examples of successes. Sections of this page are ordered by similarity, not importance.   

=== Reasons For ===

=== Reasons For ===

==== Contribute to science ====

==== Contribute to science ====

Variety of literature shows the validity of N-of-1 and patient-led studies.<ref>https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=patient-led+study</ref> 12 self experimenters won Nobel prizes.<ref>https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3298919/</ref>

Self-experimentation is still science. Variety of literature shows the validity of N-of-1 and patient-led studies.<ref>https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=patient-led+study</ref> 12 self-experimenters won Nobel prizes.<ref>https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3298919/</ref>

Observational studies are important.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead%E2%80%93crime_hypothesis</ref> Epidemiological studies are much easier to conduct with digital tools.<ref>https://www.jmir.org/2022/6/e35804</ref><ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/49775085_Reducing_case_ascertainment_costs_in_US_population_studies_of_Alzheimer's_disease_dementia_and_cognitive_impairment_-_Part_2</ref> If continuous self tracking data is taken from multiple people it becomes a [[wikipedia:Longitudinal_study|longitudinal study]]. These are more reliable than single slice observational studies like the ones most often used by papers about diets. Unfortunately, mobile health companies that aggregate data from users rarely do it with real scientific goals in mind. Instead you should give that data to researchers through [[Open Humans]].

Alternatively, you could donate your data. Even if no large formal experiment is conducted, observational studies are important.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead%E2%80%93crime_hypothesis</ref> [https://medschool.ucsd.edu/som/medicine/divisions/gastro/research/NAFLD/research/epidemiology/Pages/default.aspx#:~:text=Epidemiologic%20studies%20are%20the%20foundation%20for%20disease%20control,for%20a%20disease%20and%20targets%20for%20preventive%20medicine. Epidemiological studies]<ref>Introduction to Epidemiological Studies - PubMed (nih.gov)</ref> are better with self-tracking tools.<ref>https://www.jmir.org/2022/6/e35804</ref><ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/49775085_Reducing_case_ascertainment_costs_in_US_population_studies_of_Alzheimer's_disease_dementia_and_cognitive_impairment_-_Part_2</ref> If continuous self-tracking data is taken from multiple people, it becomes a [[wikipedia:Longitudinal_study|longitudinal study]]. These are more reliable than single slice observational studies like the ones most often used by papers about diets. Unfortunately, [[wikipedia:MHealth|mobile health]] companies that aggregate data from users rarely do it with real scientific goals in mind. Instead, you should give that data to researchers through [[Open Humans]].

==== Manage health conditions ====

==== Manage health conditions ====

Doctors get much more precise, objective, and detailed description from data than patients provide verbally. This includes long term tracking as a baseline. Data like this has been good enough to prove something even to the medical community. Patients get a clearer picture of their health which they can use to make better decisions.<ref>https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1124772.1124910</ref> Patients can gauge their doctor's performance better. Self tracking could reduce medical costs.<ref>https://flowingdata.com/2022/06/24/when-americans-had-intercourse-with-opposite-sex-for-the-first-time/</ref>   

Doctors will get much more precise, objective, and detailed description from data than patients provide verbally. This includes long term tracking as a baseline. Data like this has been good enough to prove something even to the medical community. Patients get a clearer picture of their health which they can use to make better decisions.<ref>https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1124772.1124910</ref> Patients can gauge their doctor's performance better. Self tracking could reduce medical costs.<ref>https://flowingdata.com/2022/06/24/when-americans-had-intercourse-with-opposite-sex-for-the-first-time/</ref>   

Sometimes doctors are practically useless and DIY health is the only answer.<ref>https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/fFY2HeC9i2Tx8FEnK/my-resentful-story-of-becoming-a-medical-miracle</ref> Chronic or sub-clinical health conditions, and effects of lifestyle choices, like veganism,<ref>https://www.vegansociety.com/shop/veg-1-supplements</ref><ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegan_nutrition</ref> may be monitored using personal health tracking. Remedies such as weight loss diets and melatonin can be tested for effectiveness with health tracking. Even if no remedies are found, tracking provides piece of mind by showing the patient that this condition is like previous ones that have resolved or that it is benign.  

Sometimes doctors are practically useless and DIY health is the only answer.<ref>https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/fFY2HeC9i2Tx8FEnK/my-resentful-story-of-becoming-a-medical-miracle</ref> Chronic or sub-clinical health conditions, and effects of lifestyle choices, like veganism,<ref>https://www.vegansociety.com/shop/veg-1-supplements</ref><ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegan_nutrition</ref> may be monitored using personal health tracking. Remedies such as weight loss diets and melatonin can be tested for effectiveness with health tracking. Even if no remedies are found, tracking provides piece of mind by showing the patient that this condition is like previous ones that have resolved or that it is benign.