JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Digital Phenotyping, the measurement of human behavioural phenotypes using personal devices, is rapidly gaining traction. Novel initiatives, ranging from software prototypes to user-ready research platforms, are innovating the field of biomedical research and healthcare applications. The innovative potential of digital phenotyping strategies resides amongst others in their capacity to objectively capture features - measurable and quantitative components of human behaviour such as diurnal rhythm, movement patterns and communication - in a real-world setting. The fast pace of development of this field underscores the importance of reliability and safety of the platforms on which these novel tools are operated. Large scale studies and regulated research spaces (e.g. pharmaceutical industry) have strict requirements for the software-based solutions they employ. Security and sustainability are key to ensuring continuity and trust. However, the majority of behavioural monitoring initiatives has not originated primarily in these regulated research spaces, which may be why to date these components have been somewhat overlooked, impeding the further development and implementation of such platforms in a secure and sustainable way.

Objective:

To propose an architectural base and operational guidelines for developing and operating a secured behavioural monitoring platform while taking into account limited capabilities and resources of small-scale research teams.

Methods:

We draw from disciplines such as privacy law, information and computer science to guide the design and evolution of a behavioural monitoring platform.

Results:

We describe the design and implementation of a behavioural monitoring platform identifying a set of operational requirements within the themes of security and sustainability. Taken together these requirements form the base architecture of the BEHAPP research platform (https://behapp.org). We describe the architecture in detail outlining its composition in a stepwise approach.

Conclusions:

Digital phenotyping initiatives are steadily maturing. The design proposed in this paper helps digital phenotyping initiatives and surrounding stakeholders to reflect upon, and evolve towards secure and sustainable operation of such research platforms.