Wearable Health Trackers

Earlier this year, I was watching TV while talking to my mom about a recent doctor’s visit.  She was complaining about how the doctor wanted her to check her blood sugar 4 times a day, but the insurance company will only pay for so many test strips a month, which came out to 3 times a day.  As she’s talking about how the doctor is getting ready to apply to the insurance company, a commercial comes on for a wearable glucose testing patch. “Why don’t you ask your doctor about this?” and I rewind the DVR so we can watch the commercial. She already wears a patch for daily insulin delivery, so wearing something to check her blood glucose level isn’t out of her realm of comfort. She took down some notes to talk to him at her next visit.

My mother now wears this patch and can easily open an app on her phone and check her blood sugar. Smart device management of our health is growing every year. We wear fitness trackers, track our food and water intake with apps, and share these results with our doctors who have their own suite of digital devices and records.

When it comes to fitness trackers there are so many different choices that it all comes down to personal preference. What works for Thing T. Thing (of the Addams family) may not work for you, but if you do a bit of research you can find a tracker that does fit your needs. There are the common ones from companies like Fitbit, Samsung, Garmin, and Apple. Most of these are wearable on your wrist, but there are some alternatives that are styled like jewelry that are meant to be worn like as a bracelet, a necklace or clipped onto your collar. There is also a company that is marketing a ring that can track your activity and heart rate.

But what about devices that go beyond fitness tracking?

There are a number of portable EKG devices and there are a few that even connect to apps on your smart device to help you track your information. One was just a patch you can place anywhere on your body and it tracks your heart rate, body temperature, and sleep patterns. Another comes with a device that you place your fingers on and in 30 seconds you have an ECG reading. A third option works with Apple Watch’s heart rate sensors for continuous monitoring if the user purchases a special band with pads like the device mentioned before. These pads can also be placed on the back of a smart device for checks throughout the day.

Similarly there are remote cardiac monitoring systems that connect to an app that reports back to the doctor as data is received. One device, which was created in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic, can track ECG, respiratory rate, heart rate, and activity level and when used with the special smart device can also monitor blood pressure, weight, glucose, and O2 saturation.

I also found a device that is prescribed to patients with chronic respiratory conditions. The patients attach these tags to their clothes and the tags track their respiration, pulse rate, activity and sleep duration and quality. The tags can stay attached through the washing process so you don’t have to worry about taking them off and remembering to put them back on.

Some other interesting devices I found in my search:

• Portable Gluten Tester
• Like a standard glucose tester you can give it a sample of food and it will tell you how much gluten is in it.
• BioScarf
• It’s a scarf with a built in air filtration that protects against germs, allergens and smoke.
• A Smartphone Breathalyzer
• The device plugs in through the headphone jack (so cannot be used on newer iPhones) and along with an app will give you a blood alcohol level and can also call a taxi for you.
• A Smart Fork that helps you eat more slowly
• It tracks your movements while eating, vibrates if you are eating too fast, and pairs with an app to help you track your data. (A few of us in IT are really interested in this one, unfortunately it is unavailable for purchase).
• L’Oreal UV Sense
• As part of its commitment to sun safety L’Oreal presented this small device at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show.  It’s a small tab that affixes to a finger nail and tracks your UV exposure. It was shown with a small electronic patch that people can wear for up to 3 days to track their UV exposure.

Looking to research and gets reviews on current wearables, check out:

Deep medicine : how artificial intelligence can make healthcare human again by Eric Topol

Wearable Technology by Valerie Bodden

- Amelia R., Information Technology Department