title: Self-tracking the microbiome: where do we go from here?
abstract: The quantified self community brings together enthusiasts who are using technological devices to monitor their health and social media to share their personal data with others online. In light of the growing popularity of this movement, self-trackers are challenging the health-care system by raising important questions about data ownership and risk-taking. As we enter a new era of consumer genomics, a significant number of quantified self (QS) individuals are now interested in the monitoring of their microbiome and performing personal interventions. In this paper, we discuss the scientific validity of experiments involving serial observations of a single individual as opposed to randomized clinical trials. We look at self-tracking from an ethical standpoint by questioning the risks and assessing the potential benefits for personalized medicine in general and for microbiome research in particular.
authors.affiliation: Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, CP. 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada. carine.gimbert@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Carine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gimbert
authors.affiliation: Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, CP. 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada. francois-joseph.lapointe@umontreal.ca.
authors.forename: François-Joseph
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Lapointe
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D032762:Autoexperimentation; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D064307:Microbiota; D057285:Precision Medicine / Q000941:ethics; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012648:Self Care / Q000941:ethics