Digital Endpoints of Quality of Life: From Self-Reports to Sensor-Derived Measures

Prof. Katarzyna Wac is a Computer Scientist at the University of Geneva, where she leads the Quality of Life Technologies Lab. Her work focuses on using mobile and wearable sensing technologies to assess and improve individuals’ behavior and Quality of Life in real-world contexts. She also studies human factors that shape technology acceptance and data quality. Her lab has advanced methods for measuring mobility, sleep, stress, safety perceptions, productivity, and more. Prof. Wac has authored nearly 200 peer-reviewed publications and co-edited books on Digital Health (2018) and Quantifying Quality of Life (2022). She is a (co)-PI on multiple European and national research projects, contributes to the ITU’s mHealth initiatives, is a former TEDMED Research Scholar, and a Senior Member of IEEE and ACM.

Traditionally, quality of life has been assessed through self-reports using psychometrically validated scales. With the rise of sensors, mobile devices, and apps, we now have the opportunity to capture digital endpoints that reflect real-world functioning and well-being. To make these endpoints meaningful for patients and reliable for research, they must be designed and validated with a human-centric approach that accounts for the many human factors shaping how technologies are used and how data quality is assured. At the same time, their adoption requires navigating the complex interplay between technical challenges in data collection and interpretation, and clinical or regulatory requirements for trust, acceptance, and integration.