SickWeather is a social health network that maps sickness with the use of social media. In addition to being able to view the areas prone to the most sickness on its website, SickWeather now has an app, which is handy for knowing which areas to avoid.
The app picks out keywords like "chickenpox," "bronchitis" and has a patent-pending algorithm which helps to differentiate between people who tweet about being sick with a fever or are consumed with the equally infectious "Bieber fever."
On the app, users can even opt in for notifications to give warnings when they are approaching an area with a large amount of sick people. If you’re wary of needles, using the SickWeather app could be a great way for you to stay sick-free during cold and flu season.
Illness-Detecting Apps
The SickWeather App's Social Health Network Warns Users of Sickness
Trend Themes
1. Social Health Networks - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop a social health network that not only maps sickness but also provides real-time updates and recommendations for preventive measures.
2. Keyword Analysis Algorithms - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create advanced algorithms that can accurately identify and differentiate between different types of illnesses based on social media keywords.
3. Location-based Health Apps - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Design location-based health apps that provide notifications and warnings to users when they are approaching areas with a high concentration of sick people.
Industry Implications
1. Healthcare - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Integrate social media mapping and real-time illness tracking into healthcare systems to improve disease surveillance and outbreak response.
2. Mobile App Development - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop mobile apps with advanced keyword analysis algorithms to provide users with personalized health information and alerts.
3. Travel and Tourism - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create travel and tourism apps that incorporate illness tracking and location-based notifications to help travelers avoid sickness-prone areas.