Using Wearable Technology in Healthcare: Shaping the Future of Medical Devices

Advancements in the Internet of Things (IoT) and wearable technology have accelerated their adoption across various industries, with healthcare being a key area of impact. Wearables used in this domain can help to shift focus from reactive to proactive care and increase the effectiveness of treatment efforts. By making treatments more data-driven, these devices have the potential to save thousands of lives. As a result, the implementation of wearable technology in healthcare is not only about digitalization but also about great social value.

In this article, we are going to talk about wearable devices and the changes that they can bring to patients and medical specialists.

Wearable technology in healthcare is a term that refers to electronic devices worn on the body to track health-related information. The monitored metrics can vary depending on the device type. But in general, these devices help to get such data as vital signs, physical activity, and other physiological parameters. 

For example, the range of wearable health technologies includes fitness trackers, smartwatches, continuous glucose monitors, ECG monitors, smart clothing, and others.

Such devices continuously collect data that can be analyzed by healthcare providers, patients, or AI tools to provide real-time health insights and support disease prevention.

In 2023, the size of the global wearable medical devices market size achieved the mark of $81.15 billion in 2023. In 2024, it is expected to hit $91.21 billion. This difference demonstrates quite a quick growth. 

However, analysts are even more optimistic in their long-term forecasts. According to their predictions, by 2032, the market will be valued at $324.73 billion. This means that the CAGR for the forecast period from 2024 to 2032 will be over 17%.

It is important to look at the benefits of wearable technology in healthcare from several perspectives. This will help you get a full understanding of what this technology can offer to the industry.

Benefits for patients

• Proactive health management. Wearables empower patients to monitor their own health metrics, such as heart rate, sleep quality, and physical activity. When people have real-time data, they can make informed decisions about their lifestyle and catch potential issues early.
• Enhanced chronic disease management. With wearables, it becomes easier for individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, or hypertension to track their symptoms. Thanks to this, people can understand whether they need to change something in their treatment or lifestyle. For instance, continuous glucose monitors help people avoid serious fluctuations in glucose levels.
• Better results in achieving health goals. Wearables can provide users with actionable insights, reminders, and alerts. These notifications can motivate them to practice physical activities, keep to a diet, or go to bed at the set time. 
• Improved emergency support. Certain wearables can detect falls, irregular heart rhythms, or sudden changes in blood pressure. When any dangerous cases are detected, they can send alerts to emergency contacts or healthcare providers. This feature is especially valuable for elderly patients.
• Better access to remote healthcare services. Wearable devices can be used in telemedicine. They enable patients to share real-time health data with their doctors. As a result, the need for frequent office visits will be eliminated. 

Benefits for doctors

• Real-time data and continuous monitoring. Wearables allow doctors to access the health data of their patients at any moment without delays or interruptions. This helps to detect issues early and make timely decisions.
• Data-driven decision-making. Continuous access to objective data improves diagnostic accuracy and aids in data-driven decision-making. When doctors can use wearable data, they do not need to rely solely on self-reported symptoms. 
• Rich data for research. Data from wearables can become invaluable for advancing medical research. Aggregated, anonymized data from wearables can be used to conduct studies on treatment effectiveness and disease patterns.
• Provision of highly efficient personalized care. Doctors can use data from wearable devices to tailor treatment plans to each patient’s unique health patterns. For example, a doctor can take into account data on patients’ activity and sleep to adjust medication to suit their needs.

Common benefits

• Enhanced patient-doctor interaction. Thanks to access to data from wearable devices, doctors can build communication with patients in a more efficient manner. The interaction can become more data-driven and result-oriented.
• Reduced healthcare costs. Wearable technology in healthcare supports preventive treatment. This helps to reduce the frequency of emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and complex treatments. 

The application of wearable health monitoring devices provides many advantages, but it also comes with specific challenges. That’s why before building your own solutions, it will be helpful to analyze potential difficulties and the ways to address them.

Data privacy and security 

Wearable devices in healthcare deal with sensitive health information. Cyberattacks, data breaches, and loss put patient privacy at risk. 

The introduction of end-to-end encryption and secure data storage tools has become a must to protect wearable data. Moreover, let’s not forget that healthcare is one of the most strictly regulated industries. Given this, it’s very important to make your solution compliant with the existing regulations, like HIPAA in the US. Such regulatory frameworks can also guide you in ensuring the required security. 

Device cost and accessibility

Currently, the high cost of these devices limits access, particularly for individuals in developing regions.

Such costs can be rather fair. Wearable technology in healthcare relies on advanced sensors. However, there are some approaches to solving this problem. Device manufacturers should focus on exploring lower-cost options, particularly for basic health tracking. At the same time, governments can consider the possibility of offering subsidies to healthcare providers that will further distribute devices to eligible patients.

Data accuracy

The accuracy of data received from such devices varies based on numerous factors. For example, sensor quality, placement, and user activity can influence it.

First of all, it is important to educate patients on how to use wearables and encourage them to calibrate the devices on a regular basis. Secondly, manufacturers should use only the most reliable sensor technology in their devices and enhance their calibration protocols.

On our list, you can find the most widely available wearable solutions, as well as the most advanced ones that haven’t gained wide adoption yet.

• Fitness trackers. These devices are intended to monitor physical activity, heart rate, calories burned, and sleep patterns. They are mainly applied to promote a healthy lifestyle as they can motivate people to meet their activity goals and improve overall wellness.
• Smartwatches with health monitoring. Such smartwatches are also among the most popular examples of wearable technology in healthcare. They can be equipped with features for monitoring heart rate, making electrocardiograms, checking blood oxygen levels, and detecting falls.
• Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs). Devices of this type can check real-time blood glucose levels. Thanks to such solutions people with diabetes can get alerts in cases when glucose reaches alarming levels. Moreover, with a CGM, a patient can avoid the need for frequent finger pricks.
• Smart clothing. The concept of smart clothes presupposes that they have incorporated sensors to monitor muscle activity, respiration, heart rate, and posture. They can be useful for rehabilitation patients, as well as for athletes.
• Wearable blood pressure monitors. These devices are designed for individuals who need continuous blood pressure monitoring, such as those with hypertension. Such wearables can help to check data in real time and to store it for further analysis.
• Wearable ECG monitors. They provide people with the possibility of making an on-demand ECG at any time and place and immediately sending the result to a doctor. This allows for timely detection of abnormalities and prompt intervention.
• Pain management wearables. It is too early to speak about the wide use of such devices. Nevertheless, research and development efforts in this field can’t go unnoticed. These devices rely on neurostimulation techniques like TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) to manage chronic pain and migraine symptoms. They deliver low-level electrical pulses to relieve pain. Such an approach can help to reduce patients’ dependence on pain medication and accumulate accurate data about pain episodes and their intensity.

With all the benefits that the healthcare industry can leverage with the introduction of wearables, the future of this technology looks promising. At the current moment, it can be sensible to expect that in the upcoming years, the market will see even more advanced products with expanded functionality. This can be possible thanks to the the integration of wearable technology in healthcare with other emerging technologies.

• AI integration. Wearable devices are likely to be powered by enhanced AI tools. They will be able to interpret complex health data and identify patterns to predict health risks like heart attacks or chronic disease flare-ups.
• Improved battery life. Innovations in battery technology will allow wearable devices to last longer on a single charge or even recharge passively. Such devices need to be worn 24/7 and issues with batteries can negatively affect their efficiency.
• AR integration. AR-enabled wearable devices like smart glasses may be used for different purposes. For example, they can enhance patient education and virtual rehabilitation. Moreover, they can assist healthcare professionals during procedures.
• Emphasis on mental health monitoring. Today, the majority of wearable devices are aimed at improving patients’ physical health. However, it is highly likely that in the future, there will appear more devices to track mental health indicators. For instance, they will be used to check stress levels and emotional responses. It will be possible to do this through monitoring biometrics like changes in heart rate or electrodermal activity. With such data at hand, it will become easier to manage such issues as stress, anxiety, and depression.

At Cogniteq, we work successfully with technologies of different types, including IoT and wearables. Today our portfolio includes a range of projects powered by wearable technology for healthcare.

One of them is the development of the Emergency Watch app for iOS. The company we collaborated with designed this watch as a modern alternative to traditional emergency call devices. The watch has only one button, which can be used for several actions, such as calling an emergency contact, sending GPS coordinates via email, or playing a sound. The target audience for this device includes elderly people and those who want to feel safe, regardless of time or location.

Our team built an application that allows users to efficiently interact with their watches. For instance, with our app, users can set the time on the watch, pair and unpair devices, and configure the button press type for various actions. It took us 1.5 months to deliver a fully functional app tailored to the client’s needs.

Another solution created for the healthcare industry was the cardiology data management system. It provides users with a row of options for remote cardiac monitoring, data collection, analysis, and reporting. 

The core functionality is powered by a state-of-the-art cardiac monitor developed by our client. This portable device is designed to be placed on the chest, over the heart, to gather real-time data about the patient's heart rate. Our task was to build a platform to help doctors and medical staff manage the collected data. Additionally, it needed to generate reports to assist doctors in detecting heart diseases. Today, the solution demonstrates excellent results in speeding up disease diagnoses.

Today, wearable technology in healthcare is already being used to deliver more efficient, data-driven care to patients worldwide. With the numerous opportunities these devices can provide, they are poised to become an essential part of the modern medical landscape. Given this, the demand for wearables and other IoMT solutions is expected to grow, presenting a promising opportunity for those considering the launch of related projects to meet the needs of the healthcare industry.

But to make sure that your solution will meet the market requirements and demonstrate stable performance, it’s crucial to work with a professional IoT team. At Cogniteq, our specialists have not only solid expertise in the Internet of Things but also rich knowledge in the healthcare domain. Want to learn more about our services? Do not hesitate to contact us.