Some doctors
DO want your Fitbit data
One of the newest and
most promising technologies to hit the market in the last 5 years is the
wearable tech. Examples of these wearable devices is the Apple Watch and Fitbit
Charge HR, both of which have the capability to sense certain metrics in and
around your body such as heart rate, calories burned, sleep quality, steps
taken, and altitude.
One thing some doctors are now trying to use the
data from these devices to cater to what they call precision medicine: medicine
that is “proactively monitoring the
biomarkers and family histories of an individual to help spot trouble years –
even decades – before it expresses itself as disease.” Precision medicine will
result in substantially healthier populations because doctors will be able to
see spikes in certain biomarkers that tells him/her that a patient needs to
come in for a check-up, or even sending them an alert that they should see a
doctor immediately.
Another
important point from the article is the plethora of different biomarkers that
doctors can monitor. Right now, wearables are very basic, only able to monitor major
metrics like, heart rate and distance traveled. However, in the near future
companies will start releasing wearables that feature sensors that can track
your metabolism, blood sugar levels, alcohol consumption, etc.
Finally,
because the Affordable Care Act is trying to change the costs of healthcare,
which is based on number of visits, to one based on value and quality of care.
Wearables can be used as a delivery vehicle for tracking the data, then doctors
can use this data to analysis the cost of a visit.
One
issue I have with this article is that they seem to believe that all most
healthcare professionals will be able to interpret Apple Watch or Fitbit data
effectively. Additionally, as of now the wearables are still fairly expensive
for the average American; plus, features like heart rate monitors will cost you
more than $150, simply because it is an expensive feature. Finally, as an owner
of a Fitbit, I have found that the accuracy and precision of these devices
leave something to be desired because the device needs to be in direct contact
with the body at all times.
I think one overlooked major issue that can arise from this is people intentionally falsifying their data from these devices. As of now, these devices and their software seems to be geared toward personal use. "Cheating" one of these devices seems like it would not be too difficult which can present a problem, especially with what you mentioned about the Affordable Care Act. If people are going to be able to electronically just send data instead of visiting the doctor physically, they may send in information which is not true. This could possibly occur because a patient wants to seem healthier in order to get cheaper insurance rates. As of now, I do not think the technology is quite ready yet, and many issues need to be sorted out if this is going to become a mainstream form of healthcare.
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