Wearable technology is a booming industry that includes fitness trackers, smartwatches, virtual reality tools, navigation tools and communication gadgets. These are essentially mini computers that can be worn on your body to execute a number of functions.
Devices like the ‘Fitbit’ and ‘Heartguide’ look much like a regular watch, but can monitor your heart rate, stress level or sleep pattern. Other devices include a cap that cancels out noise and earbuds that deliver an immersive sound experience.
Patient Self Awareness
With wearable technology booming in popularity, we’re seeing all sorts of new gadgets being made for us to wear. From smart bracelets that monitor glucose levels to shirts that broadcast your vital statistics, there are a lot of cool innovations on the horizon.
Patients with chronic health conditions can benefit from this technology the most. Currently, healthcare providers rely on patients to self-report their symptoms and medication compliance at home, which is inefficient at best.
Nurses are also going to be able to use these devices to keep themselves self-aware. This will help them stay professional in the face of difficult situations and not get overwhelmed. This will also help them stay in control and communicate with patients in a healthy way. This is based on the Egan model of nursing (Jack, Smith 2007). This will also allow them to give culturally competent care.
Monitoring for Sleepness
Right now, most wearable devices mainly focus on boosting the amount of sleep people get. However, researchers are hoping to expand the use of these tools to detect underlying conditions before they manifest as symptoms. Mignot and Katabi note that precursors for many chronic diseases, such as depression or Parkinson’s disease, manifest in the form of sleep disturbances like insomnia or REM sleep behavior disorder (when patients physically act out their dreams) decades before telltale tremors appear.
They are also experimenting with ways to make future wearables more discreet, such as integrating them into clothing or making them look invisible. “We’ll eventually be able to have a device that’s almost a part of you, something that goes inside you or that hides under your skin,” says Snyder.
Monitoring Blood Pressure
Wearable devices can provide real-time measurable patient data for clinicians to monitor and analyze. This information can help improve the quality of care that patients receive. However, a device malfunction can lead to inaccurate or incomplete data, so it’s important that these devices are properly maintained and protected.
Fitness wearables can monitor heart rate, stress levels, sleep patterns, and other health metrics to provide valuable information for users. Combined with mobile apps, these devices can help individuals achieve their health goals.
Safety wearables are designed to protect users from dangerous situations by sending alerts, either through pre-programmed texts or recorded voice messages, to friends and family, or by recording and sharing the wearer’s location with local people or authorities. They can also be operated by a button that sends a distress signal to emergency services.
Monitoring Heart Rate
Several wearable devices are currently available that help individuals to monitor their heart rate and present the data in an easy-to-digest way. These devices use a technology known as pulse-photoplethysmography (PPG), which measures blood flow by shining light through the skin and reading the reflection off the blood vessels. Smartwatches, fitness trackers and cell phone apps all employ this technology.
These wearable devices can also help patients with chronic health conditions. They can alert them when they’re not getting enough sleep or are eating too much junk food and they can track their physical activity levels, helping them to improve their overall wellbeing.
In addition, some wearables can detect early indications of certain diseases, such as the Cyrcadia breast monitor which can spot the early signs of cancer. They can also be used to monitor and help control certain medical conditions like diabetes, allowing patients to manage their condition more effectively. This could reduce the time spent at the doctor’s office and hospital and cut costs to the NHS.
OnePhenix is the only IPAAS software that connects your wearable data to your healthcare professionals. www.Onephenix.com.au