3 Health Benefits of Wearable Technology for Patients
Like any other technological solution, wearables have positive outcomes and also come with unpredictable malfunctions and challenges. The two primary areas of concern in this area are data security and mechanical device malfunction.
From glucose monitors to oximeters, these gadgets help people stay aware of changes in their vital signs. This allows them to connect with doctors remotely and have them come up with a better treatment plan, when needed.
1. Early Diagnosis
The rapid breakthrough in mobile technology has skyrocketed the use of wearable devices. These devices are able to monitor the health status of individuals, and indicate risks like increased blood pressure and respiratory problems, etc.
These technologies can also help patients with a variety of health conditions to live healthier and happier lives. They can help patients to get a quicker and more accurate diagnosis from doctors, as well as help them to manage their disease better.
For example, an Apple Watch with an app for heart health can detect and notify patients of abnormal heart rhythms and send them to a doctor for further testing. This can save a lot of time, effort and money for the patients, as they won’t need to visit medical facilities as often.
Moreover, some wearable devices can also alert the patients about quiescent diseases that may manifest themselves in the future and enable them to seek affordable and efficient treatment procedures. This can significantly reduce the burden on the healthcare system and society as a whole. Hence, the importance of early diagnosis is unquestionable.
2. Prevention
Wearable technology provides health insights that can help users take action and live healthier lives. The data collected by these devices also allows clinicians to provide personalized healthcare recommendations and monitoring.
The collection of data is critical for patients with health conditions that may require regular check-ups or follow-ups with a medical professional. By connecting to a patient’s electronic health record (EHR), the device can automatically transmit important information and notify a healthcare provider of any changes.
This is a valuable tool for individuals who are at risk of developing a health condition such as diabetes or heart disease. By continuously tracking the health metrics, users can identify any abnormalities and get a jump on addressing them before they cause serious harm.
This is particularly helpful for athletes, who can monitor a number of metrics like body temperature, heart rate, and sleep quality. For example, the Oura Ring is a fashionable wearable tech that monitors core body temperature to help improve performance in sports such as enduro-runs and marathons. In the past, this metric could only be monitored through invasive methods such as a temperature probe or electronic pills. The Oura ring can also help track the effectiveness of heat training, which can help prepare athletes for upcoming events by tracking their body’s reaction to increased intensity.
3. Self-Monitoring
Self-monitoring devices allow patients to collect and transmit vital data, which is essential for a patient to manage his/her health condition. The most popular devices are smart watches, which record and store a large amount of information from users’ physical activities to heart rate. They can also detect anomalies in the user’s blood pressure and transmit them to a healthcare professional. Other types of wearables include smart clothing with embedded sensors, contactless smartphone-enabled upper limb blood pressure sensors, and body sensors that can track brain activity or sleep quality level.
Self monitoring can help patients become more aware of their symptoms, bodily sensations and daily activities and trigger changes in behaviour. This is particularly important for chronic illness patients, whose self-monitoring can improve key health metrics such as blood pressure, blood glucose or lung function and reduce readmissions and cardiovascular events.
The willingness of patients to self-monitor varies among disease types. Focus group studies have shown that the controllability of a disease and patients’ perceived self-efficacy play an important role in this regard.
OnePhenix the only IPAAS software that connects your wearable data to your healthcare professionals.