Wearable Tech: A Personal Health Revolution
Brian Colivet, a 38-year-old tech entrepreneur and long-distance runner from Dublin, begins each day by checking the health wearable on his wrist. Designed to track his sleep, the device provides insights that have become integral to his daily routine. Colivet’s experience, and the experiences of countless others, illustrates the growing influence of wearable technology on personal health.
Colivet’s story highlights a trend that has accelerated in recent years. While the 1980s saw the advent of the first wireless heart rate monitors, personal use of wearable technology has now become mainstream. Today’s devices range from basic step counters to sophisticated tools that measure heart rate, blood oxygen levels, respiratory rate, aerobic capacity, and sleep phases.
In a 2021 survey, Sport Ireland found that over half the population were already using wearable technology to track their physical activities, with that number likely increasing significantly in the years since. These devices can now provide extremely detailed data, opening up the potential for personal health tech to integrate with professional healthcare, and potentially inform public health policy with unprecedented scope and scale.
Personal Insights and Behavior Change
Colivet uses the Whoop fitness tracker, along with a Garmin running watch. He says it monitors his activities and provides insights that impact his daily choices.
“This is how I knew Whoop worked; without me telling it anything, if I had a few beers the night before, my recovery score, which would normally be anywhere between 70 and 100 would be down sub 30. For me that was the litmus test.”
This insight led him to moderate his alcohol consumption. He also notes the utility of the device in observing trends over time, saying the wearable acts “like having a personal health coach in your pocket.”
Wearables and the Future of Healthcare
Dr. Cailbhe Doherty, an assistant professor at UCD, sees wearable technology as central to the future of healthcare.
“Where we’re headed is even more interesting. I see wearables becoming absolutely central to healthcare, shifting it from a reactive system, where we wait until someone is sick before we act, to a proactive one where we can predict and prevent illness before it happens.”
Doherty identifies three key areas where wearables could transform healthcare: prevention and early illness detection through data gathering, remote patient monitoring, and personalized health insights. However, he also points out that the technology’s potential hinges on addressing challenges around data privacy and the accuracy of measurements.
Real-World Applications
One instance highlighting the technology’s impact is the story of Gerard, a 45-year-old Dublin resident. After experiencing a sudden racing heartbeat, Gerard’s GP initially attributed the episode to excess coffee consumption. Unconvinced, Gerard sought a referral to a cardiologist who recommended an Apple smartwatch to monitor his pattern. The data captured by the watch enabled the consultant to diagnose tachycardia and atrial flutter. Gerard subsequently underwent cardiac ablation, and has not experienced repeat heartbeat issues since. He credits the technology with empowering him to proactively manage his health.
Clinical cardiologist Prof. Osama Soliman of Mater Private in Dublin acknowledges using data from patients’ smartwatches, noting the FDA’s approval of the Apple Watch’s heart monitoring tool for clinical trials. However, Soliman emphasizes the limitations: while smartwatches can identify heart rhythm disturbances, they cannot detect heart attacks. He is leading research on digital twins, virtual replicas of individuals built on data from wearables. The goal is to create a system that can track factors like exercise patterns and nutrition, and that provides personalized, interactive advice aimed at improving patient adherence to health guidelines.
Balancing the Benefits and Risks
Dr. Rob Argent, a lecturer in digital and connected health at RCSI, encourages a cautious approach to consumer wearables. He emphasizes that the technology’s value lies primarily in early screening, highlighting the potential to identify abnormalities. However, he cautions against ‘blind trust’.
Argent also points out the risk of deepening health inequity if these devices remain inaccessible to society’s economically and socially disadvantaged. He stresses the importance of creating an ecosystem and model of care that fosters connective health rather than focusing solely on the technology.
Wearable medical devices, such as continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) are transforming the lives of those with diabetes. Dr. Kate Gajewska of Diabetes Ireland describes CGMs as a “game changer,” showcasing the technology’s potential to improve health outcomes.
In conclusion, wearable health technology offers compelling possibilities for personal health management and the future of healthcare, while issues of data privacy and accuracy of measurements need to be carefully considered.
