How wearable technology will reshape healthcare

In today's hectic world people are too busy to take care of their health in a traditional manner. It takes too much time to make an appointment with the physician, undergo tests and wait for reports. The solution could be devices that are well-worn on the body, monitor our health, and regularly transfer data to the physicians. Well, devices like these do exist!

As technology emerges, healthcare now has more access to data than ever before. Under the impact of medical wearable, the healthcare sector has undergone several changes. Sensors, automated gadgets and devices like Fitbit that are FDA approved have improved the diagnosis and treatment process and also offer people to monitor health in a well-managed way.

Wearable Technology in health

Let's try to understand the meaning of wearable technology; as the name implies, the wearable technology includes the gadgets and devices that we can wear.

It's the electronic gadgets that people wear on their bodies to collect health data. These devices are user-friendly and are worn as accessories or few times as implant.

The wearable technology has the power to transform the healthcare sector. This technology does not only provide patient's data from remote areas to the medical experts, for an effective treatment process but also increased health awareness. It also gives additional information about a patient for a more accurate diagnosis even when the patient is busy in his day to day activities. It's ability to gather and manage huge amounts of data and transfer it through wireless data transmissions like Bluetooth and WiFi over a period of time and their minimal cost is the main reason for its acceptance and use in the health industry. High tech medical products like smart pills, activity trackers, Fitbit and other varieties of smart gadgets have transformed the health industry. This looks pretty cool and can be worn as a fashion accessory, but importantly they help in constantly monitor patient's health even without hospitalization.

Wearable technology is used by industry for:

According to research, the wearable devices in healthcare will reach $14 billion until 2022, as compared to $6 billion in 2017 in the global market. One of the main reasons for such rapid growth is technological advances in the medical field, which is followed by the creation of smartphones medical apps. Another reason is now people are more digital and more aware of their health.

Wearable technology has a huge influence on doctors and patients as they are continuously in contact. Patients can take real-time feedback from physicians without being distracted from their work or without leaving their home; they are empowered to take control of their health 24x7 and this results in active patient engagement. This results in lesser visits to hospitals and doctor's clinics and hence reduces stress. Wearable technology offers doctors to give full attention to every patient without spending a lot of time. Proactive measures can be taken instantly in case of worrisome symptoms through wireless data transmission and alert notifications.

Wearable Devices available in the market

There are different types of smart devices available - smart clothing, smartwatches, activity tracker and patches. Wearable devices in the health industry are divided into different categories:

There are devices available for different purpose such as:

Presently, the main manufacturers and providers of medical software are Fitbit, Nokia, Medtronic, and Philips.

Factors responsible for the popularity of Wearable technology:

Let's have a look at major trends in healthcare wearable technology

Wearable technology is an effective way to cut down the communication gap between patients and physicians and to improve the level of medical care. Here are some trends in wearable technology for healthcare:

In the near future, industry experts expect a huge acceptance of wearable technology in the health sector as it brings positive outcomes undoubtedly. These smart devices and apps are expected to boom in the coming years. Quite soon it is possible that we will be able to buy bio-sensors and smart wearable in nearby drugstores.

Simultaneously, prevention systems must be developing to avoid data leaks, ransomware attacks, and data hacking. The wearable technology is constantly growing. In the future, wearable app development companies will be working on an enhancement that will bring a drastic shift in the healthcare industry.

The success of wearable technology will depend on intelligent EHR software, which would accurately analyze the data sent by hardware and present it to the user so that meaningful decisions can be taken.

In the future, we can expect the launch of more wearable devices but it should have the right combination of hardware and software, to serve its real purpose otherwise it will just be a cool fashion accessory. Lastly, the real purpose of wearable technology is to make diagnosis easier, more efficient and improve the patient experience.