Overcoming challenges in video-based health monitoring: real-world implementation, ethics, and data considerations

In the context of evolving healthcare technologies, this study investigates the application of AI and machine learning in video-based health monitoring systems, focusing on the challenges and potential of implementing such systems in real-world scenarios, specifically for knowledge workers. The research underscores the criticality of addressing technological, ethical, and practical hurdles in deploying these systems outside controlled laboratory environments. Methodologically, the study spanned three months and employed advanced facial recognition technology embedded in participants’ computing devices to collect physiological metrics such as heart rate, blinking frequency, and emotional states, thereby contributing to a stress detection dataset. This approach ensured data privacy and aligns with ethical standards. The results reveal significant challenges in data collection and processing, including biases in video datasets, the need for high-resolution videos, and the complexities of maintaining data quality and consistency, with 42% (after adjustments) of data lost. In conclusion, this research emphasizes the necessity for rigorous, ethical, and technologically adapted methodologies to fully realize the benefits of these systems in diverse healthcare contexts.