The advance in digital technology has had a profound impact on our world. How we interact with our loved ones, form friendships, do business, and even receive medical care has felt its touch. While there is reasonable caution about the potential risks of integrating our physical and virtual selves, the benefits are unquestionable. One area that demonstrates this soundly is that of medical wearable devices. These innovations have made it possible to track patient conditions more thoroughly and get better diagnostic data than ever before. This data, in turn, results in more effective care and faster outcomes for all involved.
How Patients And Doctors Benefit From Wearables
Testing and monitoring patient health is part of the diagnostic process that requires a hospital stay. Even in cases where this wasn’t necessary, there would be inconvenient visits to the office. These visits often involved stress tests in determining if triggering a patient’s reported symptoms was possible. This was an inefficient and often ineffective method of collecting this information. It was difficult to provide a proper diagnosis without the ability to trigger the patient’s symptoms. Further, even with a diagnosis, it could be difficult to determine a proper treatment with the data provided.
Wearable Medical Devices allow this information to be collected more naturally. As patients go about their day, the device reports back to the doctor. By remotely monitoring the heart rate, blood pressure, and other biometrics, the doctor gets an image as it occurs during the patient’s day. This allows the doctor to see the flare-ups of their condition as the patient experiences them and understand the circumstances surrounding it. The result is a better ability to diagnose and prescribe treatment for the condition. Some forms of wearable medical devices include:
- VivaLNK Continuous Temperature Sensor Patch – This device tracks the patient’s body temperature as they go about their day. It can deliver ongoing feedback for as long as the patient wears it. This is an effective tool for doctors working with patients with conditions such as fibromyalgia. The data from this device has led to a deeper understanding of the condition and better treatment for sufferers.
- Mojo Lenses – These lenses are an incredible innovation that brings data directly and discretely to the patient. While wearing the lenses, the patient has a HUD (Head’s Up Display) that provides information about their heart rate, blood pressure, and other conditions. It can also provide important information to the patient that allows them to navigate better. The applications of this device are only just beginning to be explored.
Some devices aren’t designed to report information back to the doctor. One example is Immunotouch. Scientists created this innovative device during the COVID-19 pandemic to remind patients not to touch their faces. The device would notify them anytime they reached for their face. This reminder helped to prevent them from contracting the COVID-19 infection.
Your Physician Can Provide Wearable Device Options
Speak to your physician to determine what types of wearable medical devices may be appropriate for your health conditions.
