Why are doctors wary of wearable devices?

Wearable technology-wearable devices such as smart rings and smartwatches-is proving to be impressive at monitoring a wide range of health data. Vital signs, activity levels, and even changes in sleep patterns can be monitored by these devices.

However, in heavy doses, several medical professionals and technologists have some qualms when it comes to employing these devices in practice. The most significant concern would be data from use of such wearables leading to an issue where, perhaps, the data overload can become a cause of needless anxiety-in other words, hypochondria. Unless everything is monitored constantly, individuals may start worrying too much about health issues, causing more stress than well-being.

Amidst all these critiques, wearable devices do, in fact, help individuals alter their habits for the better. They normally prescribe very basic lifestyle improvements actions like drinking less alcohol and exercising more and just as simple, achieving or maintaining a normal healthy weight-these recommendations are all built into the pillars of overall health improvement, which camouflage an aspect of support by such electronic, wearable technology.

Thus, as epitomized by the Apple Watch, this recognizably number one selling smartwatch in the world did not escape the barbs of criticism, especially on the very aspect of heart tracking. This type of criticism only goes beyond the individual criticism by the devices and into the general criticism of wearable technology: the wide gap of the international standards. Without a unified standard, the health data a user takes from that device can really vary from one to another as to accuracy and reliability. Though advanced software has helped somehow to bridge some of these gaps by collecting data, unreliability from device to device remains a big challenge.

Perpetual usage is going to otherwise affect the accuracy of the collected data. More importantly, whenever a continuous usage follows an accuracy improvement, the data are usually better. However, challenges are posed by putting such documentation into existing health systems. It is doubtful that an initiative aimed at the UK government’s intention to shift patient care from hospitals to community settings will not fall through if a poor foundation of reliable technology is implemented. Therefore, creating a sound ground for healthcare use of wearable technology will not create further problems in patient care.

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