Health Tech to Know

There are many benefits of wearable technology for healthcare, even if it is consumer-grade. However, there are also problems and risks. When deciding whether or not to purchase a device, it is best to keep both in mind.

According to the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), one benefit of wearable healthcare devices is how personal it is, and how people these days tend to keep their devices with them at all times (2021). Another benefit of this is that these devices help people to build good habits, which is especially beneficial because the medical conditions that people develop tend to be because of lifestyle choices they’ve made over time. However, with the features on their wearable devices, people can “…track their healthy decisions and set goals” (para. 5).

Many people use wearable devices to monitor their heart health. Wearables can track things such as “…heart rate, heart rhythm, blood pressure, and activity levels.” (Scripps, 2024, para. 10). In some cases, these devices can detect indicators of stress, such as heart rate variability (Boina, 2023). In this way, people can track not only their physical health, but their emotional and mental health.

Wearable devices can also track a person’s sleep (Boina, 2023). Additionally, there are mindfulness meditation apps that can connect to wearable devices and provide information and strategies regarding mindfulness, helping the user to relax both physically and mentally.  

HIMSS conducted a survey, and among the information they gleaned, they report that the physicians surveyed reported concerns regarding patients using wearables (HIMSS, 2021). The top five concerns they found were:

• patient technical issues
• data not being accurate
• patient not wearing device properly
• false alarms on the device
• patient security/privacy concerns (para. 12).

These are all concerns worthy of consideration, and things that wearable health device owners should keep in mind. It’s also worth noting that a risk of these wearable devices is that they’ve evolved so much and provide such a constant stream of data that they “…can leave [healthcare] organizations scrambling to manage information, software integrations and security settings” (Eastwood, 2024, para. 4).

Wearable devices, despite being designed for convenience, among other things, can at times be inconvenient. Eastwood (2024) notes that the battery life and the amount of use a device gets may mean charging the battery more frequently than is convenient. Additionally, Eastwood (2024) draws attention to the fact that older users might have trouble with their devices, “…due to small text, limited instructions and hard-to-use clasps or straps.” (para. 8).

One must take care in deciding whether to purchase a wearable health device. There are benefits and risks to consider. However, one can always consult a doctor before purchasing a consumer-grade device. Here is a link to a podcast from the Mayo Clinic which is about wearables and digital health. See below for a summary of the benefits and problem’/risks of these devices that we covered.

Benefits of wearable tech for health	Problems/risks of wearable tech for health
Wearables are personalWearables help people to build good habitsDevices allow users to track healthy decisions and set goalsWearables can track things such as heart rate, heart rhythm, blood pressure, and activity levelsCan track heart rate variabilityCan track sleepMindfulness apps connected to tech can help people to relax physically and mentally	Patient technical issuesData from devices can be inaccurateA user may not be wearing the device properlyFalse alarms on the devicePatient security/privacy concernsDevices can provide too much data for healthcare providers to processDevices can have poor battery lifeOlder people may struggle with working these devices

References

Boina, R. (2023). How wearable technology can promote health. Workforce Solutions Review, 4th Quarter 2023. 26-29. https://www.ihrim.org/2023/08/how-wearable-technology-can-promote-health/

Eastwood, B. (2024, March 29). The latest trends in wearable technology for healthcare. https://healthtechmagazine.net/article/2024/03/trends-wearable-technology-for-healthcare-perfcon

Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. (2021, April 28). The endless possibilities of wearable technology in healthcare. https://www.himss.org/resources/endless-possibilities-wearable-technology-healthcare

Photo credit – No author name given. (n.d.). Man sleeping 8 hours a night [Photo]. Skyland Trail. https://www.skylandtrail.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/sleep-8-hours-a-night-1024×682.jpg

Scripps. (2024, May 10). Can wearable devices help with heart health?https://www.scripps.org/news_items/7771-can-wearable-devices-help-with-heart-health