  The last two centuries saw groundbreaking advances in the field of
healthcare: from the invention of the vaccine to organ transplant, and
eradication of numerous deadly diseases. Yet, these breakthroughs have only
illuminated the role that individual traits and behaviours play in the health
state of a person. Continuous patient monitoring and individually-tailored
therapies can help in early detection and efficient tackling of health issues.
However, even the most developed nations cannot afford proactive personalised
healthcare at scale. Mobile computing devices, nowadays equipped with an array
of sensors, high-performance computing power, and carried by their owners at
all time, promise to revolutionise modern healthcare. These devices can enable
continuous patient monitoring, and, with the help of machine learning, can
build predictive models of patient's health and behaviour. Finally, through
their close integration with a user's lifestyle mobiles can be used to deliver
personalised proactive therapies. In this article, we develop the concept of
anticipatory mobile-based healthcare - anticipatory mobile digital health - and
examine the opportunities and challenges associated with its practical
realisation.
