Not too long ago, when smartwatches came onto the scene, they were perceived as the next big thing that would replace the smartphone. While they didn’t quite achieve that, they did become an essential part of daily life for many individuals. They performed the all-important tasks of telling time, counting steps, and handling other mundane tasks like reading messages without taking out your phone, seeing who’s calling, controlling music, etc.
Technology did what it does best, though—it evolved. Wearable tech started to shift from being just a consumer product to becoming a medical device strapped to your wrist. No longer was its scope limited to simple calorie counting; instead, it gained the ability to actively track vitals such as glucose levels, heart rate, sleeping patterns, and even predict the onset of seizures. A massive leap in the healthcare industry has been made thanks to these advancements, so let’s take a deeper look at them.
First things first, let’s clarify what we mean by wearable tech. We included the example of smartwatches, perhaps the most well-known type of wearable tech, but other examples include fitness bands, smart rings, smart glasses, and even smart clothing. These devices are packed with sensors that collect data about your body and process it in real time, tracking metrics such as heart rate, sleep patterns, activity levels, and more.
Once largely relegated to smartwatch enthusiasts and outdoorsmen, wearable tech has now become a big deal in the healthcare industry, helping both doctors and patients alike in the following ways:
Arguably the biggest advantage of wearable tech is its real-time health tracking ability, keeping a check on all your vitals like heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels, and blood sugar around the clock. For those suffering from conditions such as heart disease or diabetes, the ability to stay informed about their vitals makes taking proactive steps to prevent a worst-case scenario much easier. Furthermore, devices like the Apple Watch or Fitbit can alert users (and their doctors) if something’s off, giving them time to take quick action before things get serious.
The COVID-19 pandemic gave the world a major reality check: things can go wrong in the blink of an eye, and we might not always have access to the help we need. So, both as a doctor and as a patient, is the only option to sit idly by? Once, perhaps, but with Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM)—powered by our trusty wearable tech—healthcare providers can actively track patients’ health remotely. This means fewer visits to the hospital, a particularly welcome change for elderly or disabled patients, while also reducing hospital foot traffic, allowing medical staff to focus on the most urgent cases.
Another example of its usefulness is post-surgery, wherein a doctor can remotely track the vitals of their patient and take necessary action if something looks off, without the patient having to step foot in the hospital.
A major leap in the healthcare wearables industry has been made due to the introduction of AI and Machine Learning. Their capability to analyze a massive amount of data and provide insights helps the aim of proactive, preventative, and predictive health maintenance.
A study conducted by MarketsandMarkets has predicted that healthcare will grow from USD 20.9 billion in 2024 to a whopping USD 148.4 billion by 2029, and a Deloitte study reveals there will be an expected 16% reduction in hospital costs by 2027, which by 2037 will result in savings of over USD 200 billion.
Well-being isn’t merely physical; mental health is equally important, and wearable tech is making waves in that aspect of the healthcare system as well. With its ability to track stress levels which is done by monitoring heart rate variability, apps can offer guided breathing exercises or tips on mindfulness to help users manage stress and anxiety.
Read Also: How Audio Wearables Are Transforming Communication
If it all sounded too good to be true, all sunshine and rainbows, that’s because it was. The technology is far from perfect, and there are several challenges and concerns that still prevent the mainstream usage of wearables in healthcare, despite their benefits.
First off, data privacy and security are major concerns. Since these devices are collecting data that couldn’t get any more personal, questions about how securely it is stored have arisen. Who has access to it? How is it being used? These are big questions. While companies developing wearables must comply with regulations such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) to protect patient data, there is always the risk of hackers looming. While companies do their best to ensure security on their end, users should still be mindful of the permissions they grant to apps connected to their wearable devices.
Secondly, accuracy is still a variable. Some wearable devices are quite accurate, while others… not so much. Incorrect readings lead to incorrect warnings, which creates unnecessary panic. That’s the best-case scenario. The worst-case scenario is the wearable outright missing a major warning sign.
Last but not least, the tech is still far from affordable. The cheap alternatives aren’t accurate, and the expensive ones are, well, quite expensive, to say the least. Not everyone can afford a $400 smartwatch, which means these advancements might not be accessible to everyone. For wearable tech to truly transform healthcare, it needs to be affordable and inclusive.
There is admittedly a long way to go still until we see the mainstream adoption of wearable devices within the healthcare system, but it is undeniable that they are indeed going to be a major part of the future of healthcare. The pandemic showed the importance of real-time remote monitoring of patients and the ability to manage hospitals more efficiently. With less footfall inside them for every little thing and some help from AI paired with individuals taking a proactive approach to managing their own health, it isn’t far-fetched to say we’ll all be wearing devices that keep us healthier, happier, and more connected to our bodies than ever before.
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