About

With the advent of wearable devices, wearing an item on one’s wrist is making a comeback (HIMSS, 2021). In essentially stating this, HIMSS – the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society – is comparing wearable technology to wristwatches, which have generally fallen out of use due to the widespread use of smartphones (HIMSS, 2021). Wearable technology for monitoring one’s health has proven to be beneficial, and through this blog, I intend to draw attention to the benefits, as well as other aspects of wearable technology for health (or “wearables”, as I will refer to them). These topics are: medical-grade versus consumer-grade wearable health technology, benefits and risks of wearables, and what wearables can track and types of devices. Through this, I seek to educate and help readers to understand why wearables are so popular and commonly used, and to help them to make an informed decision on whether wearables are right for them. While the research is largely positive and in favor of wearable health technology there are factors that one must consider before purchasing said technology. Ultimately, I hope to bring readers new knowledge as I present this blog.

History

Allow me to present an overview of the history of wearable devices. P and Ruby (2023) state that wearable devices go as far back as the 1960’s, and developed more and more over time. Around the 1980’s-1990’s, a device worn over one eye, in a way like the Google Glass was developed, although it was a flawed device (Hammond et al., 1994, as cited in P & Ruby, 2023). P and Ruby mention devices created around that time, specifically “…calculator watches and fitness trackers…”(2023). Didyuk et al. (2021) state that “Extensive research and development resulted in the first marketable transdermal implantable glucose sensors in 1999 and early 2000.”. In 2010, smart watches came into prominence (Gao et al., as cited in P & Ruby, 2023). Wearable health devices continued to develop and evolve over time. For example, the Apple Watch, introduced in 2015, has gained many uses (Eastwood, 2024). More recently, wearable technology is now integrated into clothing (Marbury, 2021, as cited in Eastwood, 2024). Another current development has been using wearable technology to treat mental health disorders. Masri et al. (2024) gives significant credit to the recent COVID-19 pandemic for the need for such technology. Overall, wearable technology is older than one might expect, and has come a long way. Various types of technology will be explored through this blog.

References

Didyuk, O., Econom, N., Guardia, A., Livingston, K., & Klueh, U. (2021). Continuous Glucose Monitoring devices: Past, present, and future focus on the history and evolution of technological innovation. Journal of Diabetes science and technology, 15(3), 676-683. 10.1177/1932296819899394

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

Gao, W., Emaminejad, S., Nyein, H. Y. Y., Challa, S., Chen, K., Peck, A., Fahad, H. M., Ota, H., Shiraki, H., Kiriya, D., Der-Hsein L., Brooks, G. A., Davis, R.W., & Javey, A. (2016). Fully integrated wearable sensor arrays for multiplexed in situ perspiration analysis. Nature, 529(7587), 509. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature16521

Hammond, K. B., Turcios, N. L., & Gibson, L. E. (1994). Clinical evaluation of the macroduct sweat collection system and conductivity analyzer in the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis. The Journal of Pediatrics, 124(2), 255-260. (no DOI)

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

Masri, D., Jaber, L., Mashal, R., Albourini, F., Alsaoud, M. A., & Al-Tarawneh, A. M. A. (2024). The Role of Wearables & Technology in Mental Health: Review. 2024 2nd International Conference on Cyber Resilience (ICCR), Cyber Resilience (ICCR), 2024 2nd International Conference On, 1–5. https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1109/ICCR61006.2024.10532880

Marbury, D. (2021, September 10). Next generation of wearables will be ‘transformative’. https://healthtechmagazine.net/article/2021/09/next-generation-wearables-will-be-transformative

Photo Credits

Whitwam, R. (2024). Four smartwatches laid out on a pink background [Photograph]. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-smartwatch-android/