The Empowered Patient: Exploring the Meaning and Significance of Data in Chronic Illness Self-Management
(2024) SIMZ51 20241Graduate School
- Abstract
- This study examines how individuals attribute meaning to their self-tracking data and how they utilize these meanings in the self-management of their chronic disorders. Specifically, this study uses transcripts archived by the Quantified Self movement, which involves individuals using technology or various tools to collect data about various aspects of their daily lives, emphasizing self-tracking and personal data analytics to gain insights into their health, improve behaviors, and achieve personal goals through data-driven decision-making. By conducting a hybrid thematic analysis approach and building upon the 3 themes previously founded by Sharon & Zandbergen(2017), the findings conclude an additional 4 themes. The 7 ways in which... (More)
- This study examines how individuals attribute meaning to their self-tracking data and how they utilize these meanings in the self-management of their chronic disorders. Specifically, this study uses transcripts archived by the Quantified Self movement, which involves individuals using technology or various tools to collect data about various aspects of their daily lives, emphasizing self-tracking and personal data analytics to gain insights into their health, improve behaviors, and achieve personal goals through data-driven decision-making. By conducting a hybrid thematic analysis approach and building upon the 3 themes previously founded by Sharon & Zandbergen(2017), the findings conclude an additional 4 themes. The 7 ways in which individuals attribute
meaning to their data are; a form of mindfulness, a tool for resisting social norms, a means of communication & narrative, health literacy advocacy, an empirical self-experimentation, a sense of belonging and community, the difference between life and death. This study highlights the
critical role of self-tracking in promoting proactive health management and underscores its potential to transform patient care. These results suggest that integrating self-tracking into the self-management of chronic illnesses could potentially aid in better health outcomes and increased patient engagement. Future research should explore the long-term effects of self-tracking on various health metrics. (Less) - Popular Abstract
- While the practice of self-tracking to help control chronic illnesses has evolved dramatically with such digital tools and wearable devices, much of it can be traced back to the Quantified Self (QS) movement. QS members closely monitor nearly every aspect of their existence, including their sleep quality and biometric information about themselves with an eye to help lift productivity
apart from having a better control over life in general. Therefore, this research explores the stories of these subjects presenting their self-tracking experiences at QS conferences as a means in which they are engaged with reflecting on their data for understanding further about ‘what it is’ on/felt from their bodies and independently involved into their... (More) - While the practice of self-tracking to help control chronic illnesses has evolved dramatically with such digital tools and wearable devices, much of it can be traced back to the Quantified Self (QS) movement. QS members closely monitor nearly every aspect of their existence, including their sleep quality and biometric information about themselves with an eye to help lift productivity
apart from having a better control over life in general. Therefore, this research explores the stories of these subjects presenting their self-tracking experiences at QS conferences as a means in which they are engaged with reflecting on their data for understanding further about ‘what it is’ on/felt from their bodies and independently involved into their care practice. Conventional research on the topic has tended to emphasize the technical merits of self-tracking
devices, but in contrast, the results reveal just how emotionally charged and deeply personal QS members’ relationships with their data can be. The research brings to light seven key themes which might explain the meanings behind self-tracking practices among individuals dealing with chronic conditions. From this point of view, it is clear that self-tracking is more than measuring and quantifying life: namely a step toward capability building and health literacies (Lupton,2016). This highlights a novel perspective to gain additional insights into the complex interaction of people and health technologies while highlighting it as part of person-centered care and social processes that influenced the management of chronic disorders. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9177336
- author
- Perez, Melanie Nicole LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SIMZ51 20241
- year
- 2024
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- quantified self, patient empowerment, chronic illness, self-tracking, biomedicalization
- language
- English
- id
- 9177336
- date added to LUP
- 2024-11-05 09:34:56
- date last changed
- 2024-11-05 09:34:56
@misc{9177336,
abstract = {{This study examines how individuals attribute meaning to their self-tracking data and how they utilize these meanings in the self-management of their chronic disorders. Specifically, this study uses transcripts archived by the Quantified Self movement, which involves individuals using technology or various tools to collect data about various aspects of their daily lives, emphasizing self-tracking and personal data analytics to gain insights into their health, improve behaviors, and achieve personal goals through data-driven decision-making. By conducting a hybrid thematic analysis approach and building upon the 3 themes previously founded by Sharon & Zandbergen(2017), the findings conclude an additional 4 themes. The 7 ways in which individuals attribute
meaning to their data are; a form of mindfulness, a tool for resisting social norms, a means of communication & narrative, health literacy advocacy, an empirical self-experimentation, a sense of belonging and community, the difference between life and death. This study highlights the
critical role of self-tracking in promoting proactive health management and underscores its potential to transform patient care. These results suggest that integrating self-tracking into the self-management of chronic illnesses could potentially aid in better health outcomes and increased patient engagement. Future research should explore the long-term effects of self-tracking on various health metrics.}},
author = {{Perez, Melanie Nicole}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{The Empowered Patient: Exploring the Meaning and Significance of Data in Chronic Illness Self-Management}},
year = {{2024}},
}