Maintaining better health
The health care system places a greater emphasis on the treatment of diseases than the root causes of health. On the invitation of the Life Science Zurich (LSZ) Business Network, science, business and society recently discussed this challenge.
Around 400 international experts from science, business and society discussed external page "The Cause of Health" on 3 February 2020. The Life Science Zurich (LSZ) Business Network, a non-profit association of Zurich players from universities including ETH Zurich, industry and business development, had had invited to the international conference.
The main thrust was clear: It is necessary to develop sound digital applications and obtain data at times when people are in good health in order to place a stronger focus on maintaining health. To this end, data on lifestyle and environmental conditions is particularly crucial, while genetic information also has an important part to play. However, the majority of medical data is collected during periods of illness. Nevertheless, the range of digital health care solutions and the collection of data this entails is rapidly rising.
For example, researchers at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich are working on data sets that provide information on health. They officially launched the Swiss "Cause of Health Cohort" (external page Swiss COHCOH) on 3 February. Over 100 participants started a 14-day blood sugar measurement, for which the data will later be made available to the external page SugarandMe project as well as COHCOH. “Together with citizens, we are setting an example, ensuring that data remains firmly in the hands of the participants," said co-initiator Ernst Hafen, President of the Bio-Technopark Schlieren and ETH Professor at the Department of Biology.
A detailed version of this report first appeared on the websites of external page Life Science Zurich and the external page Office for Economy and Labour of the Canton of Zurich.