The Key to Mass Adoption of Wearables

#News(General) [ via IoTForIndiaGroup ]

Creating a ‘Check Engine’ Light for the Human Body

And that’s where we’re heading with healthcare wearables. Not only can wearables monitor and track real health variables, but they can also improve the speed and efficiency of setting appointments. Fewer labs and less time spent testing theories will improve the diagnosis cycle.

I’m a big proponent of managing our time well, and that’s especially important when it comes to our health, where a few weeks of waiting can make a huge difference. Nobody wants to wait three months to see a specialist when he’s sick. When you’re sick, you want immediate answers and an action plan.

Bringing this kind of data to the masses can — and will — impact the healthcare system. The best way of explaining what wearables could be for the healthcare system is a “Check Engine” light. Your car alerts you when something undetectable to the eye or ear is happening under the hood. A wearable device is perfectly capable of doing the same thing and empowering you to manage your health.

Our bodies tell us when we’re hungry, when we don’t feel well, and when we should stop doing things because they’re causing pain — but they don’t tell us with specificity what the problem is. Being able to get at a root problem is everything in healthcare.

At the Consumer Electronics Show in January, multiple brands, even those not in healthcare, showcased their efforts to propel mass adoption of wearables through health. Under Armour, for example, is partnering with Samsung’s Galaxy smartwatch, HOVR Infinite’s running shoe, JBL’s UA True Wireless FLASH headphones, and its MapMyRun app to change the running experience. Seeing how a runner leans on his feet or carries his shoulders can make a huge difference in both his running performance and potentially long-term health issues, preventing visits to chiropractors or orthopedists.

Welt debuted its smart belt at CES, clearly aimed at business professionals. Tracking waist size, overeating, and activity, the belt is capable of nudging executives out of their chairs after long periods of time and triggering an alert when excessive calories have been consumed. Taken as isolated incidents, those things aren’t so bad. But a smart belt constantly analyzing a busy person’s activities can make travel or packed meeting schedules less harmful to a leader’s health.

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