Medical Device Data Goes to Court

Advances in mobile and computer technology are combining to create massive changes in the way data about human health and well-being are gathered and used. As the trend toward wearable and ubiquitous health tracking devices moves forward, the sheer quantity of new data from a wide variety of devices presents challenges for analysts. In the coming years, this data will inevitably be used in the criminal and civil justice systems. However, the tools to make full use of it are currently lacking. This paper discusses scenarios where data collected from health and fitness related devices may intersect with legal requirements such as investigations into insurance fraud or even murder. The conclusion is that there is much work to be done to enable reliable investigations. This should include at least the establishment of an organization to promote development of the field, development of cross-disciplinary education materials, and the creation of an open data bank for information sharing.