Digital phenotyping and the development and delivery of health guidelines and behaviour change interventions

Lovatt and colleagues make the case that drinking guidelines informed by the experiences and behaviours of drinkers are likely to have increased relevance, credibility and efficacy. Here, we describe how emerging digital technologies are allowing us to measure behaviours like drinking with a level of detail, and on a scale that has not previously been possible. We explain how the intensive measurement of behaviours enabled by these approaches combined with appropriate modelling techniques can reveal patterns of behaviours, and that these patterns together with knowledge of the resultant negative or harmful consequences can inform the development of improved guidelines. We also describe how emerging technologies are providing new opportunities to deliver health guidelines and behaviour change interventions in increasingly precise and relevant ways.