The emergence of wearable digital health technologies (DHTs) can revolutionize healthcare by providing personalized, data-driven insights into patients' health and well-being. As these technologies progress from experimental applications to routine use in clinical care, healthcare stakeholders must address several critical challenges to realize their full potential.

Patient Data Ownership

Data ownership and patient privacy remain a primary concern regarding the use of DHTs. Patients require free access to their data and maintain control over its use. They are the sole owners of their health data and must provide informed consent to share their data for medical research or commercial product development.

Establish Robust Interoperability

Effective use of DHTs demands full interoperability. Further research is needed to fully understand the potential impact of DHTs on patient care and outcomes. Studies should focus on identifying the specific data points and devices that offer the most significant benefits in various clinical contexts.

As the adoption of DHTs continues to grow, ongoing collaboration among healthcare providers, technology developers, policymakers, and patient advocates is essential. 

Do AI Companies Need Your Permission to Use Your PHI?

Artificial intelligence requires vast data sets to train its large language models (LLMs). The quality of AI depends upon both the amount and quality of data used to train the LLM. Many tech companies use data both with and without permission from the copyright owners. As AI companies develop solutions for healthcare, what data should they be free to use, and how should they obtain permission to use it? Should patients require informed consent before companies and medical researchers can use protected health information (PHI)? Is there a way for patients to benefit from using their PHI?

It's the End of the World as We Know It?

While many artificial intelligence experts posited unique ways that AI might end the world, the usual competition for resources offers a more likely cause. Human history describes centuries of societies competing and warring for resources. Companies and countries now compete for human talent, computer chips, and electricity. The consequences of this competition present a worrying scenario.

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