Wearables: The Healthcare Game Changer
The world of healthcare had to find a way to offer patients remote medical treatment and consultation because of the pandemic. The technology that made all that possible and efficient was wearables. Many lives were saved by having devices that could monitor patient vitals and allow medical professionals to assess their conditions and communicate with them immediately.
As wearables in healthcare showed just how powerful they can be, their market share grew as well. In 2022, their market share was estimated at $61.30 billion and predicted by experts to rise by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.6% by 2030. Understanding exactly how wearables technologies work is one of the most important parts when your business is a part of the healthcare industry.
The importance of wearable health technologies
Imagine a world where data collected by digital health devices couldn’t be organized or made sense of to assist medical staff in understanding patient health better. Without effective data processing, wearable health technologies would struggle to deliver their full potential. Wearables bridge the gap between your health and your busy daily life by continuously monitoring health metrics.
Wearable technologies, from basic fitness trackers to sophisticated medical monitoring systems, gather vast amounts of data such as physical activity and vital signs. This information is critical for tracking and managing health but requires advanced analytical capabilities to be truly effective.
Currently, these devices work by continuously collecting data, which can then be used to track health trends and identify potential health issues early on. For instance, a smartwatch could detect irregular heart rhythms and alert the user to seek medical advice.
This capability for constant monitoring offers significant benefits for proactive health management and personalized care strategies. For example, devices that monitor glucose levels can completely change the management of diabetes by providing real-time personalized feedback, allowing for immediate adjustments in treatment.
Moreover, by giving patients instant access to their health data, wearables encourage proactive health management. This accessibility enables individuals to make informed decisions about their lifestyle and treatment options, fostering a more engaged and informed approach to personal health.
In essence, while the devices themselves collect data, their utility lies in their ability to provide actionable insights that support preventative care and tailored treatment plans, ultimately enhancing patient care through technology.
Regulation of wearable health technology
Wearable health technology is subject to national and international regulations that ensure their safety. In the United States, for example, devices classified as medical must adhere to specific Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards. The FDA categorizes wearables under regulations such as 21 CFR Parts 800 to 1299, depending on their intended use and associated risk level.
In terms of regulatory oversight, these devices must undergo rigorous testing and compliance processes to ensure they meet the high standards required for medical equipment. This includes proving both their safety for users and their efficacy in delivering accurate health data.
Internationally, bodies such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) provide safety guidelines for medical electrical equipment. These standards help to ensure that wearables meet consistent safety and performance criteria across different markets, enhancing user trust and device interoperability.
Furthermore, regulatory bodies like the FDA have developed specific plans, such as the Digital Health Innovation Action Plan, which guide the evolution of digital health technologies, ensuring that they align with broader healthcare goals and consumer protection laws.
These regulations are essential for maintaining standards in the rapidly evolving field of wearable health technology, ensuring that devices not only enhance health management but also adhere to stringent safety and privacy standards.
Key health problems and AI-driven wearable solutions
How is AI in wearable devices reshaping healthcare? AI’s impact on healthcare mainly involves addressing critical challenges through enhanced monitoring and proactive care.
Here are three pivotal areas where these innovations are making significant impacts:
- Chronic disease management
Managing chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease requires constant monitoring of various physiological parameters, which can be impractical with traditional healthcare tools. Patients often need to undergo frequent testing, which can be invasive and disruptive to daily life.
The solution that AI-enhanced wearables provide is a better way to continuously monitor vital signs such as blood glucose and heart rate. For example, a wearable for diabetes can track glucose levels non-stop and use AI to suggest adjustments in diet or insulin. This helps keep the condition under control and reduces complication risks. (8)
- Early detection of health issues
Early detection of diseases significantly increases the chances of successful treatment, but many conditions do not exhibit clear symptoms until they have progressed to a more serious stage. This delay in diagnosis can lead to worsened health outcomes and increased treatment complexity. (9)
AI-enabled wearables analyse continuous health data, like heart rate variability and sleep quality, to identify early signs of illness. For instance, irregular heart patterns may indicate heart issues, prompting early medical action and improving chances of effective treatment. (10)
- Elderly care and fall detection
Falls are a major health risk for the elderly, leading to injuries that can severely affect mobility and independence. Traditional methods of monitoring fall risk are reactive rather than proactive because they often fail to prevent falls before they occur.
As a result, digital healthcare solutions, including AI-powered wearables, enhance elderly safety by detecting falls in real-time and alerting caregivers or emergency services. These devices analyze movement patterns and learn to forecast falls, helping in rapid response and preventing future incidents, thereby promoting independence and improving care. (11)
These three examples underscore AI’s transformative potential and impact in healthcare and wearables. This integration enhances healthcare delivery through continuous monitoring, early intervention, and tailored care. It is particularly helpful for vulnerable populations like the elderly and those with chronic conditions.
Conclusion
When it comes to healthcare, nothing can replace the in-person visit to your doctor. That, however, doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t allow for other options that can help to keep people safe and healthy. Wearables in healthcare have a bright future in a lot of different aspects of the industry. Knowing what they can do for you and how you can use them is a way to ensure your place in that future as well.
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Sources:
- https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/wearable-technology-market The global wearable technology market was valued at USD 61.30 billion in 2022 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.6% from 2023 to 2030.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10708748/ For instance, these algorithms were employed to predict the onset of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mental health issues, by measuring heart rate and blood glucose meters.
- https://topflightapps.com/ideas/wearable-technology-in-healthcare/ Wearable technology is not just a trend but a significant tool transforming healthcare.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10669651/ Telehealth applications, such as remote monitoring, hold considerable promise in the management of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8309890/ The most important regulatory aspect for wearables used for cardiovascular diseases is their market access through certification or authorisation.
- https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/software-medical-device-samd/artificial-intelligence-and-machine-learning-software-medical-device AI/ML technologies have the potential to transform health care by deriving new and important insights from the vast amount of data generated during the delivery of health care every day.
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666827021000360 The drawbacks can be overcome because IEEE has an ongoing standardization P1752, which will address the problems of data collection and sensor placement.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10448028/ Skin disorders can affect one or more layers of the skin, disrupting its essential functions. These conditions can be broadly classified as inflammatory skin diseases, skin tumors, and wound-healing disorders.
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15587433/ This possibility has led to public health programs which recommend populations have periodic screening examinations for detecting specific chronic diseases, for example, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and so on.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10145690/ AI may be used to better classify patients into high- and low-risk subgroups and identify those most likely to derive benefit with the least side effects of medical therapy.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7516685/ Many caregivers in assisted living communities rely solely on their observational powers to detect health changes in older adults in their care..
