Capturing Value from Health History Information

Health history data starts the day each of us is born. It includes all the physical parameters – height, weight, etc. – and all the laboratory information and medical images from the countless tests we undergo in our lifetimes. What infections we caught. What symptoms we had. What conditions we developed. What medications were prescribed for us.

"Patient advocacy organizations have access to a hugely valuable asset."

Each individual accumulates (often in paper records in multiple locations) such a personal health history. For the entire U.S. population, there are oceans of such information, most of which has gone unnoticed over the years.

Until now. The scientific revolution that has unfolded over the past two decades – driven by advances in molecular biology, genomics, and informatics technologies – now enables scientists to use all such health history information to uncover the root causes of disease, and to discover new treatments.

Health history information is now valuable.

Your patient advocacy organization has a network of patients, families, and other dedicated stakeholders. You can now help to collect and store the health histories of your constituency, and sustainably leverage the value to further your educational, research, and policy objectives.