New data from ABI Research predicts that nearly 100 million wearable remote patient monitoring devices will ship over the next five years.
According to ABI, the ability for patients to share their personal health data with healthcare providers is one of the key factors that is driving the surge in wearable devices.
Traditionally, people have used wearable fitness trackers, such as those provided by Jawbone and FitBit, to track their activity levels and make healthy choices. However, with advancements in cloud technology, it is becoming easier for patients to share their information with their healthcare provider who can get a better picture of the patient’s behavior. For example, Apple’s HealthKit platform allows patients to consolidate the information collected from various wearable devices and share it with their healthcare provider.
With added emphasis being placed on preventive medicine and encouraging healthy lifestyles, information for a patient’s wearable device could allow healthcare providers the opportunity to detect high risk behaviors and provide early interventions that will improve patient care.
Technology companies are certainly banking on a wearable device revolution. Garmin, Asus, and Sony all recently revealed new fitness trackers, and Apple is expected to unveil its iWatch next week, which will track a number of health and lifestyle metrics.
It remains to be seen whether wearable devices will actually improve patient outcomes or reduce healthcare costs. Will patients be willing to share their health information via the cloud, especially given the recent headlines questioning cloud security? What do you think?
