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Wearable technology is becoming increasingly popular in the medical field. It not only helps doctors with the diagnosis but also improves patients’ quality of life by monitoring their health without the need to appear frequently at the doctor’s office.
This article discusses what wearable technology is, what its main benefits are, and provides an overview of the top ten companies developing some of the most exciting and future-forward wearable technology in healthcare today.
So, let’s get into it:
What is wearable technology in healthcare?
Wearable technology, also known as ‘wearables,’ is a category of electronic devices that can be worn by a patient. They are often designed to be worn on the body, but some can also be worn on clothing. Many wearables are equipped with sensors that collect data about the wearer’s activity and health. This data is monitored, recorded, and analyzed by medical professionals in order to improve the wearer’s health on an ongoing basis, reduce doctor visits and most importantly, prevent an unnoticed decline in user health often resulting in a hospital stay.
What does wearable technology in healthcare measure?
Medical wearable devices often monitor pulse, temperature, heart function, blood pressure, and blood oxygen saturation. Advanced monitors such as Biobeat’s remote patient monitoring (RPM) solution goes one step further, measuring all of the above, in addition to respiratory rate, temperature, cardiac output, systemic vascular resistance, and more.
What are the main benefits of wearable technology in healthcare?
There are a number of reasons why healthcare companies are looking into wearable technology. One of the most obvious benefits is that it has the potential to improve patient outcomes by providing real-time data that can be used to make informed decisions about treatment.
In addition, wearable technology can help to reduce costs associated with healthcare by making it easier to track and manage chronic conditions. It can also help to improve communication between patients and care providers, as well as promoting adherence to medication regimens and other treatment plans.
Mostly, wearable technology in healthcare includes benefits such as:
- A faster and more cost-effective solution to long-term patient monitoring
- Early diagnosis of chronic diseases
- The ability to monitor patients remotely, from their homes, increasing patient quality of life
- Higher adherence and compliance in taking medication
- Better decision making on the part of the physician due to access to accurate, real-time data.
With all of these benefits, it’s no wonder there are so many companies in this space providing exciting, next generation solutions to ongoing medical problems for patients in the home. Let’s take a look at some of the most exciting ones:
Biobeat
Biobeat is a med-tech company with unique health-AI capabilities in the patient monitoring space. The company’s remote patient monitoring (RPM) health-AI platform includes a disposable short-term chest monitor and a long-term wrist-monitor, both of which utilize a special sensor to continuously provide accurate patient readings. The readings include thirteen vital health parameters. Among them; cuffless blood pressure measurements, pulse rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygen saturation, temperature, stroke volume, and cardiac output, among others.
Leveraging its automatic, continuous, and noninvasive AI based RPM platform, Biobeat technology identifies early deterioration of patients via its proprietary big-data and health-AI tools. The aggregated patient health data is then available for viewing by certified medical professionals via the company’s secure cloud-based patient management platform. Biobeat’s unique photoplethysmography-based wearable devices are the first to be FDA-Cleared for cuffless non-invasive blood pressure monitoring and are also CE Mark certified.
Omron
Omron products include fitness trackers, heart rate monitors, and cuff-based blood pressure monitors. They also offer a line of medical devices that can be worn on the body to improve patient care. Omron’s wearable technologies are helping to improve patient care by providing timely data that can be used to make more informed decisions about treatment and care plans.
Medtronic
Medtronic products include the MiniMed 670G system, which is the first and only FDA-approved hybrid closed-loop system. This system helps to automate insulin delivery for people with type 1 diabetes. Medtronic also offers a number of other wearable technologies, such as the mySugr app and the OneTouch Reveal app, which help people with diabetes manage their condition.
IRhythm
iRhythm’s ECG-based wearable devices are used by patients with a variety of conditions, including heart arrhythmias, sleep disorders, and chronic pain. The company’s products are backed by extensive clinical research and have been proven to improve patient care.
Biointellisense
Biointellisense products include the BioSticker, a small sensor that can be worn on the body to monitor heart rate, respiration rate, and skin temperature; the BioPatch, a patch that can be worn on the chest to monitor heart rate and activity; and the BioButton, a small device that can be worn on the body to track sleep patterns and physical activity.
Vital Connect
Vital Connect’s wearable technologies include the VitalPatch, which is a patch that monitors vital signs including single channel ECG, heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, and activity, and provides real-time feedback to patients and caregivers; and the VitalConnected Health Hub, which is a mobile app that allows patients to track their health data and connect with their care team.
AliveCor wearable technologies
AliveCor products include the KardiaBand, a wearable ECG monitor, and the KardiaMobile, a personal ECG device. AliveCor’s wearable technologies are helping to transform healthcare by providing patients with easy access to their heart health data. The company’s products are designed to empower patients to take control of their heart health and make informed decisions about their care.
Wearable technologies – conclusion and summary
In recent years, there has been a huge surge in the development and adoption of wearable and remote patient monitoring technologies in healthcare. This is largely due to the fact that such technologies, via their unique ability to collect patient vitals in an ongoing manner without disrupting patients’ daily lives, have the potential to improve medication adherence, enhance disease management and patient engagement and ultimately, assist clinicians to better support their clinical decisions. Another big benefit is that they slash doctor and hospital visits, saving the healthcare industry big money while increasing patient quality of life.
With all of those benefits for all involved, it’s safe to say that wearable technologies have the potential to totally transform the way that physicians practice and patients experience healthcare.
And that is good news for everyone!
Image Credit: Photo by Artur Łuczka on Unsplash