How wearables are changing the way people care for their health

Wearable technology has become more popular over the last few years, with devices like the smartwatch being used mostly to monitor the consumer’s health. This new habit has many already wondering how these wearables are changing the way people care for their health, if at all. 

This kind of technology in healthcare includes electronic devices also known as wearables (like smartwatches), that consumers can wear. These devices are designed to collect the data of users’ personal health like heart rate, number of steps taken and sleeping pattern. Some of these devices can even perform exams like an electrocardiogram and send the result to a doctor or other healthcare professional in real time. 

The use of wearable technology by United States consumers has more than tripled in the last four years, going from 9% to 33%. To add on that, according to an Insider Intelligence research, the number of health and fitness app users will stay above 84 million through 2022, proving  why the demand for wearables is projected to increase even more in the next few years.

Along with this, a growing interest and demand from consumers on this type of technology can be seen in a research from Insider Intelligence, which shows that more than 80% of consumers are willing to wear fitness technology. There can be many reasons for this higher interest in wearables, one of them being the consumers’ desire to take control of their own health and prevent any health problem when possible.

Prevention, by the way, is another trend that’s being noticed. The fact that wearables help monitoring vital signs, in normal activities and during exercise, is seen as one of the biggest benefits offered by these devices. An example of this is the smartwatch user who was warned by his device that he was having palpitations, and was able to seek help because of it.

Clearly the growing demand for wearables is changing the way people care for their health. Daily, or at least regularly, checking the data stored on the device helps participants be more involved in the process of taking care of themselves. It is not possible to say if this change is permanent. It is also not possible to say if or how it will affect people’s relationship with healthcare professionals. But it is happening and, like any other change, it requires adaptations.