Changes in movement as a predictor of health issues:  In the article - Smartphone Tracker Gives Doctors Remote Viewing Powers we have another example of how patterns regarding location changes, combined with other personal data, can help medical staff determine if a patient is either off their medication, or has taken a turn for the worse.

This software was developed by Ginger.io, the same group that helped provide the epidemiology data analysis in the "Big Data from Cheap Phones" article previously posted.

This does require that patients give up some personal privacy, but the data is still covered by HIPAA rules - while providing better access to medical staff which can be a boon for patients with a variety of medical issues, such as diabetes, heart issues, chronic back pain, Crones, etc.

Changes in daily patterns of travel and communication can also indicate changes in stressors or possible lethargy; and using predictive analysis, the application can help alert medical staff to reach out to individuals that may be at risk.

It's unclear how the system will deal with lost or stolen phones, or out-of-coverage and/or battery and charging issues.  Nevertheless, it's a good first step forward in proactive medical analysis.