Wearables & Biosensors

Apr 19

Wearables turn people into real-time health data generators.

Wearable health technology, like smartwatches, biosensors, patches, rings, shoes, and even necklaces, enables users to monitor key health metrics such as sleep, heart rate, stress, and glucose levels. These devices are increasingly used for preventive care, chronic disease management, and early detection of health problems.

  
  Pros and Cons Table
  
        Pros
        Cons
      
        Enables continuous health monitoring
        Raises privacy issues
      
        Encourages proactive and informed health choices
        Data accuracy may vary
      
        Supports remote care and alerts
        Not all wearables are clinically validated
      
        Empowers users to become point-of-care
        Risk of data overload for clinicians
      
        Offers early warnings for some conditions
        Vulnerable to data breaches and misuse

Wearables gather physiological signals through embedded sensors, transmitting data via Bluetooth or cloud platforms. To implement them effectively in care settings, identify use cases (e.g., post-discharge monitoring or lifestyle interventions). Establish clear protocols for data integration and patient coaching. Data should integrate into electronic records with built-in AI triage tools, while clinicians receive training to interpret and act on the outputs. Also, privacy protocols must be established early.