Actually, Brian from the MobiHealthNews post mentioned that after the Davenhall TED talk, the audience discussed how the super-granular info like you allude to (which restaurants, coffee shops…even what kind of house you lived in when you were kid/if there was toxic stuff in the walls, etc.) might be even more helpful than the macro info. But then you get into huge issues with privacy…

It does occur to me, however, that Foursquare and Gowalla give you the choice to 'check in', right? So you don't have to check in somewhere if you don't want anyone to know you were there? Still, pretty complicated.

Much of the feedback I've been getting is concerned with this privacy issue. Probably the Foursquare/Gowalla-esque incarnations are too far-fetched. But an extra tab on the EMR for macro location history would still be useful.

From what I know, I can't see how short-period data from social applications will contribute any information relevant to individual health. In general, omniscient information-gathering based only on the expectation that some future use will be found for the data more often leads to private profit than public good.

Rather than do this, a case should be made for certain types of recording. The benefits of logging, say, residential postal codes are apparent from stories like Mr. Davenhall's; but more granular data can not be included until its utility is clearly explained.

I need to think more about this.