Digital Health Ecosystems for Sensor Technology Integration: A Qualitative Study on the Paradox of Data Openness

Mobile health startups develop innovative, sensor-based solutions that continuously collect health data. To generate added value from these large amounts of data, an integration of the solutions into the healthcare system is essential. In this context, the collaboration between interdependent healthcare stakeholders is required which can be enabled by structures considered as digital ecosystems. To understand the conditions for ecosystem participation, more specifically the incentives and disincentives for data openness, we conducted 30 interviews with four healthcare stakeholder groups in Germany and analyzed the data using a Grounded Theory approach. As a result, we developed a conceptual model that describes the integration of mobile sensor-based health solutions into digital health ecosystems. Thereby, we improve the understanding of incentives and disincentives for data openness on the collective ecosystem level, the ecosystem-stakeholder-group level, and the individual user level. Practically, we contribute by outlining important market entry barriers for mobile health startups.