Following up on my most recent response here I stumbled across an interesting domain using Apple Health (as an exemplar) in their work. Namely forensics! Trying a naïve DuckDuckGo search of “sql apple health” had found me this conference/academic journal paper https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666281723000057 on using workout tracking data stored in Apple’s Health app database to verify an alibi. The paper is focused on retaining vital forensic evidence some of which can be lost when using the app’s export function. Apparently timezone data is lost/normalised to GMT. For my usage that isn’t an issue.
Also highlighted some interesting uses of workout data with one of the paper’s authors using the “Rowing” category to record his “bell ringing” activities. I can see why he might make that lateral leap rowing is pulling horizontally and bell ringing pulling vertically. Although the variability of GPS tracking could put a perp merely in the vacinity of a crime not at its exact location.
The mentioned repurposing of workout categories started me thinking whether there are any others that I might repurpose to support my quantified self. The idea has somewhat tempered my hold out for buying an Apple Watch only when it includes on board blood pressure monitoring with the immediate possibilities of tracking my exercise (primarily walking). Also thinking that maybe ovulation data’s “hot flushes” subcategory could be useful in tracking the side-effect of some of my medication and whether is a correlation with any of my regular activities. (Anecdotally it feels like the hot flushes are worse in the mid to tail end of a course and less frequent immediately after a new course has been administered.) Being male ovulation tracking had really been of no interest to me plus I thought it a risky form of family planning but this paper has sparked my imagination.
Looks like I need to read the Halth Kit documentation in greater detail — only given it the most cursory of glances to date — to see what (other) lateral moves there could be achieved by reuse.