Wearable Health Devices – Futuristic Focal Point or Forgettable Fad?

How many times have you taken a few extra steps to close that exercise ring on your Apple Watch^®? Have you ever put on a portable BP cuff to determine what your blood pressure reading is? As people everywhere continue to become more involved in their own health, wearable health devices will continue to play an integral role in healthcare.

What is a wearable health device?

A wearable health device is an autonomous device that can be worn by a person as an accessory or is embedded into an article of clothing. These electronic devices are designed to collect personal health data and should be intuitive enough that anyone can operate them.

Why are they important?

The COVID-19 pandemic has proven that healthcare digitization is becoming an expectation among patients.

Wearable health devices are important because they provide patients with a nonintrusive means of capturing and sharing health data with their physicians. These devices also let providers analyze the collected data to promote better health outcomes and healthier lifestyles for their patients. A patient who wants to see if they’ve burned enough calories for the day to fit their workout plan just has to look at an electronic watch and take action. This takes the guesswork out of tracking one’s health and results in more accurate readings.

“People can overestimate or underestimate on surveys how much and when they move, but wearable devices provide accurate data that cuts through the bias and guesswork,” said Jacek Urbanek, assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in a recent study.

These devices can also make managing care for patients with chronic conditions easier since readings for diseases can be taken anytime and wherever is most comfortable for them.

A strong partner makes a big difference

Raw data can be useful but partnering with a comprehensive healthcare IT partner like eClinicalWorks can give you the tools to do even more. eClinicalWorks integrates data collected from wearable health devices and moves it directly into the EHR ­– making future care easier for patients of all kinds, including chronic care patients.

Wearable health devices have also been an instrumental component in the success of telehealth during the pandemic. These devices allow providers to analyze patient data before and during a telehealth visit – letting providers more accurately strategize and care for their patients.