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Wearable devices that were originally meant as an accessory to track daily progress on fitness goals like steps taken, or monitoring how well we've slept the prior night are increasingly showing their value in recording certain markers that predict major emergency medical events or diagnose illnesses. These technologies were created for casual use to create healthy habits or optimize a workout, but we're finding that they are more than this.
There are a growing number of stories that prove just how powerful these tracking devices can be. For example, the heart rate monitor on the Apple Watch of a 12 year old in NY helped to detect cancer. Imani Miles' watch was alerting her and her mother of a high heart rate. Her mother, Jessica Kitchen, took her daughter to the hospital over concerns of the constant alerts to the elevated heart rate of her daughter. Doctors found that Imani was in the beginning stages of appendicitis. During the surgery to remove her appendix, doctors found a tumor on her appendix that was found to be cancerous. The simple heart rate feature on the device helped to begin a series of actions that ultimately led to discovering cancer and saving her life.
In another example, Jeff Priest was working in the backyard when his watch alerted that he was in AFib multiple times in an afternoon. He thought the watch may have been broken as he felt perfectly fine. His wife encouraged him to schedule a telehealth visit with their doctor and his doctor told him to get to the hospital immediately. It was there that the doctors diagnosed his AFib and let him know he was severely close to having a stroke or a blood clot. Jeff would not have known about this unless his wearable device alerted him of the AFib issue.
As the population ages, the need for remote patient observation is growing. The remote monitoring provided by wearables can give real-time information to physicians for patients who are in nursing homes, those with limited mobility, or those who live very far from medical care. The constant monitoring is wonderful for personalized medicine and can give loved ones of aging family members more peace of mind knowing that they will be alerted of adverse reactions to medications, illnesses, and even falls. Remote monitoring due to wearables is also giving clearer information when it comes to clinical trial data and outcomes. They also broaden the number of trial participants that can contribute to a study. Trial leaders are able to collect more information more efficiently and faster than ever before.
Wearable devices range from body attachments like watches or rings, to body insertions, and clothing. The field has seen tremendous growth and is expected to continue to grow at a rapid clip as we get closer to 2030. As we discover new biocompatibles and nanomaterials, the research market for implantables is also expected to expand further. For now, we can expect rapid improvements in the functionalities of wearables such as watches. Although not a substitute for a specialized medical diagnosis or equipment, wearables offer an additional narrative that can help doctors diagnose and treat the beginnings of a serious illness.
