Health research using mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, is becoming more common. New hardware and software can transform a mobile device into a sophisticated data collection and analytical platform. These technologies are fundamentally changing health research because the recruitment, data collection, and data sharing are conducted online without any face-to-face interaction between researchers and research participants.

Health-relevant information no longer comes just from electronic medical records but also from the digital footprints left behind when people use mobile applications, search the internet, wear activity monitoring devices, access direct-to-consumer health care testing, or simply converse in social media. Many efforts including those tied to the Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI) are fueling the development of large population-based databases that link clinical and genetic information.