Development and Application of New and Existing Digital Health Technologies Including Mobile, Wearable, and Continuous Monitoring Tools for Conditions and Diseases within the NIDDK Mission

May 2022 Council

Lead Division/Office

KUH, DDN, DEM

Point(s) of Contact

Ivonne Schulman, M.D.

Executive Summary

Digital Health Technology has the potential to revolutionize the approach to health conditions within the NIDDK mission. Wearable and smartphone technologies enable collection of health-related data such as physiological variables, physical activity, dietary intake, sleep quality, behavioral input, and data related to social determinants of health, including environmental conditions or geolocations associated with adverse health outcomes. In addition, tools that allow continuous monitoring of biological analytes inform on the progression of a disease, response to treatment and/or management of chronic conditions. The use of such digital health technology not only provides researchers with a wealth of information, but also provides patients with tools for education and self-management and a sense of ownership over their own health. Digital health applications extend the reach of care providers with secure exchange of patient-reported data and permitting the exchange of secure tailored text messaging and may have the capacity to interface with the electronic health record. This initiative is timely since the availability and acceptability of wearable tools and devices is rapidly increasing. The current Initiative Concept will support Investigator-Initiated Research Project (R01) applications to further develop and optimize these technologies and promote their application to the study the diseases and conditions within the NIDDK’s mission areas.