SF Chronicle Interview: Paul Abramson MD on Medically-Supervised Self Tracking

My Doctor Medical Group founder Paul Abramson MD was interviewed this week in the San Francisco Chronicle about his use of self tracking technologies, in collaboration with 'Quant Coach' Lauren DeDecker, to collaboratively help his patients in San Francisco solve vexing health challenges, taking the do-it-yourself Quantified Self approach to a professionally-supervised level.

Most importantly, Dr. Abramson emphasized that self tracking in a medical context has 'made me focus on the fact that medical care is more of a process. It's more than just a result.' Far beyond simply using the 'medical gadget of the day,' his practice offers a highly-supported environment for patients to gain self knowledge while conducting safe and effective physician-supervised personal health experiments.

Using an iPhone app, Abramson will have a patient with mystifying migraines or seemingly inexplicable stomachaches self-track data such as how much sleep they're getting or what they're eating. That information is eventually fed back to Abramson as potential clues to whatever medical mystery he's trying to solve.