Originated in the 1960s, wearable technology has developed into a life-saving technology in the field of health care. Since 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the wearable technology of remote monitoring and health care has undergone fundamental changes. Within three months, wearable technology in healthcare has changed from edge technology to mainstream technology, because it is necessary to monitor patients without going to doctors or hospitals in person. FDA has implemented temporary regulations to help use these devices and developed two new payment codes for remote monitoring.
Companies that manufacture wearable health tracker for health care are more needed. These companies need the help of professional electronic design teams gathered from the Internet of things (IoT) and wearable devices to efficiently develop their products within budget and bring them to market faster. Nevertheless, wearable technology in healthcare still has advantages and disadvantages that challenge its full utility in the healthcare industry.
Apple and Fitbit cooperated with Stanford health care innovation laboratory to carry out COVID-19 wearable device research. Through the heart rate recorded by wearable devices, it was found that Coronavirus symptoms were successfully detected in 11 of 14 patients before the actual diagnosis. In a recent study, patients who used the tracker increased their activity after 12 to 14 weeks of use, resulting in weight loss and reduced LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels. In another study, overweight individuals who walked 10000 steps a day for 12 weeks led to a reduction in weight and BMI, as well as a significant reduction in feelings of anxiety, depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion at the end of the study.
Remote health monitoring and early diagnosis: wearable tech in healthcare can track the health statistics of patients, which can be used to establish models through artificial intelligence assistance and machine learning. Then, the data collected from everyone is used to predict potential health problems before they occur, and cheaper and more effective preventive measures can be taken than treatment when the disease is in full swing.
Wide range of applications in the future: the current development trend and speed will allow people to control health and monitor health status from head to toe through wearable devices, such as smart helmets, hearing aids, glasses, even smart clothing and footwear, skin patches, implantable sensors, etc.
