Biomedical Informatics and the Digital Component of the Exposome

Biomedical informatics plays a key role in the development of precision medicine and other new technology-enabled health disciplines. In this context, the exposome (defined as the whole set of exposures on an individual) has become a relevant topic. Although most of the research work in the exposome area has been conducted around the physical and chemical world, we sustain that in an increasingly digitised world more attention should be paid to the digital component of the exposome derived from the interactions of individuals with the digital world. We define this “Digital Exposome” as the whole set of tools and platforms that an individual use and the activities and processes that an individual engages with as part of his/her digital life. In addition we support that biomedical informatics can and should lead research in this area.