ADVANCES IN WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY-Patient monitoring in the future

A lot of people who are still using the fitness trackers and smartwatches cannot in the least fathom how big a chunk of the healthcare sector is being worked on using wearable technology.

Today, these devices are not merely mere pedometers or simple exercise monitoring devices: they are increasingly being used to monitor patient health status and providing critical real-time data that can sometimes be the difference between life and death.

From monitoring for symptoms of diseases to becoming useful in supporting long term conditions, wearable technology is revolutionizing healthcare than has been ever. So let’s get deeper insights about the evolution of wearables into a progressive patient caring device and its coming future.

Wearable devices have it like having a tiny healthcare coach on your wrist or body. These smart devices monitor key physiological parameters such as pulse rate, blood pressure, sleeping and oxygen saturation without a doctor’s prescription. And this constant surveillance is a revolution, not only in keeping an eye on a person’s well-being but also in healthcare.

Wearable tech produces a range of actual time data that to doctors is valuable when it comes to managing the conditions of their patients. For instance, a smartwatch may provide notification when a client’s heart rate is too high or low, thus letting the doctor start managing the situation before it gets worse.

Today, wearables have become essential for people with chronic diseases. For example, a diabetic person uses a glucose monitor to check their glucose level; a smartwatch that has ECG features can identify a problem as it happens and therefore the patient cannot wait for their next appointment to realize that something is off. Such levels of monitoring can indeed be life changing.

Take diabetes, for example. Flash glucose monitoring systems (CGMS) allow people to monitor their glucose levels without needing to prick themselves and can also alert them when they may need to take the insulin or control their diet. This is like managing to have a health assistant that will ensure that in case the body has high levels of blood glucose, it will correct it or in case of low levels it will raise them.

On the whole, the concept of preventive medicine presupposes the chance of detecting issues before they become critical—and wearables make this possible. These devices continue to gather data enabling doctors to diagnose illness at an early stage, occasionally even before the onset of symptoms. Perhaps to check on an arrhythmia or hypertension before the two cause a heart attack or stroke, respectively.

Not only can this be done to permit earlier intervention but also can promote healthier lifestyles to the extent that people are actively encouraged to exercise and eat correctly, get adequate sleep etc. It has been proven that wearables have been a method of helping us stay on target with our health and even boost our morale to do so.

Well then, what is the future of wearable technology? Although smartwatches and fitness trackers are great, the next big thing in patient monitoring could be implants. These miniatures would be implanted into the body and would provide an even more detailed, and immediate, assessment of internal states such as glucose levels, oxygen levels and even heart activity.

It also makes implantable likely thinner and more comfortable for the body compared to, for example, wrist-worn wearables that need to be charged. Besides being more accurate, these devices will gather even more data, which will help the doctor understand your state better. Even with more development in AI, these devices could even predict that there is something wrong and recommend that it should be treated.

Of course, while wearable technology are rather promising, there are few drawbacks to using them. First, data privacy is an issue of interest. The data regarding a person’s health is touched or collected by wearable devices, it means that such data has to be protected during the processes of storing and transmission. Patients and healthcare providers must rely on the fact that this information will not become public.

Accuracy is another issue. Although many wearables have been made to be very smart, they are not entirely. Improper results with monitors could require people to go through treatments that they do not need or miss out on treatment that they need, more so these devices must undergo calibration and testing. Of course, there is also user compliance – wearable technology is only great if patients remember to use it on a regular basis, which can be a weakness.

There is no doubt that wearable technology is indeed gradually revolutionizing the way that people deal with their health care. From monitoring our overall health in real-time to tending to chronic illnesses and even predicting health problems we might encounter in the future, wearables are now moving healthcare to our wrists. Of course, there are still issues, but the advantages of wearable devices are evident for patients and health care providers.

There are certainly more upcoming inventions adding to the technology that shall assist us to enjoy much healthier lives with much more longevity. Whether you need to track a long-term illness or prefer managing your overall health, wearable technology is the way of the future and the present.

Wearable technology plays a transformative role in the connectivity between patients and healthcare professionals. We provide a holistic and user-centric approach that offers enhanced healthcare experiences with advanced solutions in usability, connectivity, and performance.

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