By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    headphones can create health problems
    The Harmful Health Effects of Using Headphones
    September 24, 2021
    Headache causes
    4 Causes Of Headache You Probably Didn’t Know About
    December 28, 2021
    follow these steps to recover from your injury
    What Steps Should You Take to Recover More Quickly from an Injury?
    April 12, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Do You Know What’s in Your Pain Pill?
    May 11, 2011
    Depression and Diabetes Linked
    June 23, 2011
    Positive Health and the Heart
    July 28, 2011
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: How Wearable Tech Insights Are Improving Healthcare
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Mobile Health > How Wearable Tech Insights Are Improving Healthcare
Mobile HealthTechnology

How Wearable Tech Insights Are Improving Healthcare

Larry Alton
Last updated: November 22, 2019 7:13 pm
Larry Alton
Share
6 Min Read
How Wearable Tech Insights Are Improving Healthcare
SHARE

  Wearable tech has come a long way from the days of pedometers. Consumers now have an array of smart tools to boost quality of life, detect disease, and manage chronic conditions. All told, 225 million such devices will be sold this year. Although smartwatches represent more than a third of wearable spending, they’re actually the least interesting segment of the market. To get a glimpse of what wearables can do and where they’re headed, look to the medical market. Doctors and patients are using them to:

Contents
1. Transition from episodic to continuous care.2. Minimize invasive procedures.3. Detect disease earlier.4. Provide prevention reminders.5. Support people with disabilities.

1. Transition from episodic to continuous care.

Until recently, patients with heart failure were sent home from the hospital with two things: a prescription and a checkup date. Whether the drugs were working wasn’t apparent until patients returned to their doctor weeks or months later. The shift toward value-based care has led providers to use wearables for continuous at-home monitoring. In conjunction with Mercy Virtual, population health management startup Myia Health has developed a kit for patients with chronic conditions like heart failure, COPD, and hypertension. The kit contains home hub tablet, a connected blood pressure cuff, a smart ring for measuring physical activity, and more. Then, from a connected dashboard, doctors can monitor patients using Myia’s technology for signs of worsening amongst their patients. Biometrics like heart rate, respiratory rate, and even motion or gait during walking are all indicative of a patient’s individual health status. As Myia collects more information, the system will only continuously learn and get better.

2. Minimize invasive procedures.

Because diabetics’ blood-glucose levels can change rapidly, they have to take measurements multiple times per day. The experience is painful, easy to forget, and in social situations, embarrassing. Although many diabetics still monitor their blood-glucose concentration with meters that draw blood, researchers at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology have developed a wearable solution: a smart contact lens that can detect glucose levels in patients’ tears. Any procedure that draws blood is dangerous. Wounds get infected. Especially when conducted at the hospital, they often require the attention of expensive specialists. Expect invasive procedures to be a hot target for wearables in the coming years.

3. Detect disease earlier.

With many cancers, the difference between life and death is how early it’s detected. Sadly, it’s often too late once a tumor becomes painful or visible to the naked eye. After his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, Julián Ríos Cantú co-founded Higia Technologies at the age of 18. Higia has developed a bra insert that uses thermal imaging and artificial intelligence to detect abnormalities in breast tissue. Discreet enough to be worn with most bras, the inserts look for tissue temperature and density changes over time, Many doctors recommend that women get annual mammograms after age 45. But mammograms are notorious for false negatives, and time-point assessments mean breast cancer may go undetected for months. Wearables could provide a key breakthrough in the fight against cancer.

More Read

How to Use Instagram Video in Healthcare
VR Health Clinic Applications for Occupational Therapies
We’ll Have to Get to Know Patients Better
Social Media and FDA Regulation for Medical Devices
Essential Tremor Clinicals Start Successfully!

4. Provide prevention reminders.

Try as we might, most of us engage in behaviors we know are bad for our health. We eat fast food. We sit for extended periods of time. We drink too much alcohol. One behavior that skincare company L’Oreal is hoping to head off is sun overexposure. Its UV Sense wearable contains a battery-free sensor that detects ultraviolet radiation from the user’s thumbnail. Wearable for up to two weeks at a time, UV Sense shows users when and how much UV light they’re exposed to. In the future, patients with livers damaged by alcohol may use wearables that act like miniature breathalyzer, warning them whenever they take a drink. Already, certain fitness wearables remind users to get up and move if they’ve sat for too long.

5. Support people with disabilities.

Hearing aids were some of the first healthcare-specific wearables on the market. But for people with other sensory disabilities, wearable solutions have been slow to materialize. One startup improving quality of life for blind and sight-limited individuals is Aira. Aira combines augmented eyeglasses with guide services, helping people who can’t see know what’s ahead of them. Aira assistants can peer through the camera to help users read signs and open doors. Sensor-embedded suits may someday prevent people with tactile disabilities from accidentally injuring themselves. Wearables that analyze the air may warn people who’ve lost their sense of smell of things like gas leaks. The way patients receive care is changing. Wearable technologies are making it cheaper, easier, and less dangerous to manage chronic conditions. And for the patients who rely on them, they’re nothing short of life-changing.

Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Health
May 15, 2025
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction heart treatment
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction
Cardiology
May 13, 2025

You Might also Like

Technology

The Future Of Technology Advances In Medicine

July 29, 2019
Image
eHealthGlobal HealthcareMedical EducationMedical RecordsMobile HealthRemote DiagnosticsSocial MediaTechnology

#Doctors20 & You Conference: #mHealth, #ePatients, #Collaboration

May 25, 2012

Cloud-Based Video Conferencing for Telemedicine – Podcast

July 30, 2011

Bioengineered Skin & Skin Substitutes in Wound Care

March 17, 2016
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?