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Consumers have been buying smart personal devices for decades, but increasingly, tech companies are enabling users to track their own health. Not only does this empower people to monitor their health and wellness, but this data can be easily shared with doctors and leveraged for scientific studies. Recently, the medical genetics company Invitae announced the launch of a mobile app that leverages Apple Watch data to better understand the genetic underpinnings of atrial fibrillation. Wearables are also being used to engage patients in a whole new way. A Stanford University study looked at whether children with autism spectrum disorder improved their social skills by playing a facial recognition activity using a pair of ‘smart’ glasses. |
| The easier it is for consumers to access their own data, the easier it is for others to access it, too. This can be helpful if patients are sharing health information with their doctor, but this data could be vulnerable to cyberattacks. Reports of a breached online network broke this fall, sending hospital administrators, nurses, doctors and patients into a panic. At the time, the cybersecurity incident affected an imaging system, an infusion pump and an anesthesia machine, although whole hospital networks were at risk of being affected. |
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For 2020, manufacturers and consumers will have to be wary of potential cybersecurity risks. They can expect tighter regulations on such devices especially if they deal with patient health information. At the same time, wearables present a novel form of tracking personal health and delivering patient care. |
| Wearables are expected to be widely used for health monitoring, disease management, and diagnostics. A Syneos Health report notes another up-and-coming use of wearables: to transform clinical trials. A new type of trial, coined ‘driverless trials’ would enable patients to receive drugs at home and track their progress on wearable devices. |
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