Sometimes medical advancements have a price and sometimes that price is a long way from black and white. Scientists have long been trying to fully understand asthma and its effects. They’ve been trying to create a pattern between the numbers of attacks in certain areas, working out which areas had statistically more asthma attacks in them and then trying to work out exactly why this was. This knowledge could unlock knew ways of treating asthma and a new understanding of the triggering factors of the condition.
The issue with the data which is currently available on attack frequency and location is that it’s not entirely accurate and you can’t base a study and potential advances on information which isn’t necessarily true. The last thing on an asthmatics mind during an attack is taking note of it and even those with the best intentions may have forgotten exactly where they were when it comes to writing it down. In some cases it’s been found that the records are entirely fabricated at the last minute before a doctor’s appointment or the assumption is made that all attacks occur at the patients currently registered address.
Of course the amount of time someone spends in their residence depends on the person, it’s unlikely all attacks will occur in that one place. This is what leads me to the main point of this article. If the date supplied is unreliable and that’s hindering the advancement of the treatment for asthma, should other steps be taken?
In the USA, inhalers have been developed which record the usage and the location of said usage automatically, storing this all on a smart phone or online. Entirely reliable information which could genuinely improve the understanding and treatment of asthma. The issue is that this is a way of tracking people’s movements which massively infringes on privacy. Which is more important, a person’s privacy or their health and wellbeing? What do you think?
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