Seeking Medical Selfies

A medical researcher from QUT is completing her PhD on patient-generated health data, where patients track and collect data on their own health using wearable technology, smartphone apps and selfies.
The interest began when Kara Burns noticed patients were bringing images and videos of their conditions to their medical consultations.
Ms Burns is a trained medical photographer with over seven years of experience in a tertiary hospital, and is now seeking patients to participate in her study tracking their medical condition through a series of ‘medical selfies’.
She is looking for patients with suitable conditions, or carers of patients who could benefit from her study. Burns is not entirely sure what she is looking for, but "it's essentially a photograph of a visible pathology or visible abnormality, something like a wound, a rash, skin conditions, even a mole somebody's worried about," she says.
"I'm interested in what happens when a patient collects this data and takes it to their health professional and say they've been tracking it and ask if it's significant to their condition," she says.
Mobile phones in the treatment are room are certainly common these days. Have you come across a patient who actively uses photos in the tracking or communication of their condition? Whether it is photos of rashes or moles or videos of strokes or seizures, this data could be really useful. Perhaps you could assist Ms Burns in her study.
Contact Kara Burns at kara.burns@hdr.qut.edu.au