Examples of Wearable Technology Applications to Medicine

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Introduction

Wearable technologies, from smartwatches to virtual reality headsets, have seen a growing integration into our personal lives. Whether it be for tracking exercise, health, or providing entertainment, wearable technologies are a convenient means of monitoring which augment our daily routine (Yasar et al., 2022). However, not only is wearable technology applicable to our own lives, but it is also applicable to medicine. In this blog, I will describe 3 significant applications of wearable technology on medicine.

Monitoring Mental State

Many wearable smartwatches measure heart rate and other vital information. Using this data, researchers aim to devise effective monitoring of mental illnesses. For example, a group of researchers (Choi et al., 2017) aimed to "detect stress patterns of children [by proposing] a framework using wearable devices and machine learning techniques." To apply this framework, the research team collected audio and heart rate signals. Following data collection, the team used a support vector machine (SVM) learning algorithm with linear discriminant analysis (LDA) in order to detect stress patterns. Through analysis of patterns, future implications are that the proposed framework could help with monitoring child safety (Min Wu et al., 2021).

Diabetes Management

Kaiser Permanente is an example of a digital program, incorporating wearable technology, established in order to manage diabetes effectively. In this program, patients were given a wearable glucometer connected to an electronic health record (EHR). The glucometer provided useful information to the patient, while updating the EHR to allow for easier patient-doctor communication. The data from the glucometer transmitted to the EHR accelerated treatment decisions, while education regarding exercise and diet was taught to the patient. Through at-home wearable monitoring, the time required to care for the patient was shortened. In the future, the Kaiser Permanente program could be a palatable method of health monitoring and care through wearable technology, which implies significant improvement of patient results (Smuck et al., 2021).

Facilitation of Biomedical Sensors in collecting patient data

There has been increasing research on the application of biomedical sensors to wearable wristbands for patients. Examples of biomedical sensors applied in wearable technology research include resistive sensor systems, optical sensor systems, internal measurement unit systems, biopotential electrode sensors, and more. The respective sensor is usually applied to an elastic or inelastic wearable. Elastic wearables, however, are optimal: allowing for more precise measurements, due to increased accommodation of skin surface area. There is a diversity of biomedical sensor applications for medicine. For example, (Kaisti et al.) incorporated MEMS pressure sensors to aid in early detection of cardiovascular disease. The integration of biomedical sensors with wearable wristbands allows for noninvasive monitoring of patients. This eliminates the need for subcutaneous treatment, which implies saved time for doctors and patients in the future. (Seçkin et al., 2022)

Conclusion

Through these advancements in the application of wearable technology to medicine, it is beneficial in leading to expedited patient outcomes. However, like other advancements, some ethical implications regarding the novelty of these cutting-edge applications may arise. Possible examples include algorithmic bias and accessibility of advanced wearables. It is crucial to address potential ethical implications in order to ensure a streamlined research process and trust in innovative healthcare.

References

Min Wu, P. and J. L. (2021, April 2). Wearable technology applications in Healthcare: A literature review. HIMSS. https://www.himss.org/resources/wearable-technology-applications-healthcare-literature-review

Seçkin, M., Seçkin, A., & Gençer , Ç. (2022, August 4). Biomedical sensors and applications of wearable technologies on arm and hand - biomedical materials & devices. SpringerLink. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44174-022-00002-7

Smuck, M., Odonkor, C. A., Wilt, J. K., Schmidt, N., & Swiernik, M. A. (2021). The emerging clinical role of wearables: factors for successful implementation in healthcare. NPJ digital medicine, 4(1), 45. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-021-00418-3

Yasar, K., & Wigmore, I. (2022, May 12). What is wearable technology? definition, uses and examples. Mobile Computing. https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/wearable-technology