Wearable Medical Devices: How Will They Transform Healthcare?

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Table of Contents

Are WMDs the Future?
Significance of the Study
WMD Plurality (Concepts)
How Can This Help Medicine?
Implications for the Future
Conclusion
References

Are WMDs the Future?

It is difficult to argue that the future of health care is still far away. On the contrary, humanity is already facing incredible scientific and technological advances every day that is significantly changing the agendas of medical science. Although by now these products of progress are still gaining popularity and are gradually being recognized by the global medical community, we should expect them to become ubiquitous within the next decade. For example, we are talking about wearable medical devices (WMD), which are any electronic gadgets or devices attached to the human body (Kruglyak, 2020). This can range from deep integration, including injecting microchips and sewing the device into the tissue, to a lighter version, i.e., wearing it on the arms or head. Using a WMD allows automatic collection of data on health, physical behavior, and exercise habits for subsequent analysis and the creation of a personalized plan for health promotion.

Significance of the Study

The significance of this research project is primarily due to some disconnect between the commercially available WMD products on offer and the real-world benefits for clinical purposes. Every year information about revolutionary discoveries in non-contact glucose measurement, automatic calculation of blood pressure, or cardiovascular monitoring becomes more and more accessible. However, such marketing slogans are not necessarily of practical value. For this reason, this study aims to examine WMD in-depth in the context of real medical benefits. In addition, the work is a relevant summary of current scientific and technological progress, and therefore will be helpful not only for the student community but also for all people interested in medical technology.

WMD Plurality (Concepts)

We should expect that WMDs will soon occupy a severe niche in the market of electronic devices. Already today, every 8 out of 10 users are ready to buy smart devices for health monitoring (Comstock, 2018). Consequently, when such technologies are more strongly integrated into medical practice, we should expect the demand for them to grow. Many examples of WMDs can be developed: microchips for measuring blood glucose levels, sensors for detecting cancer markers, or mobile MRI devices. The most attractive ones are the ones shown on the slide. First, they are smartwatches with the ability to track heart rate, respiratory rate, physical activity, blood oxygenation, and, in addition, to perform ECG procedures and blood glucose measurements through optical sensors. Second, these are goggles that can be used for people who have difficulty with physical activity and limb control. The wearable belt monitors users gait patterns and predicts the likelihood of flat feet, spinal disorders, or cramps. In addition, such a belt can detect a persons falls. Fourth, intelligent lenses worn over the eye could be effective for medicine for sedentary people or people with severe eyeball damage. Such lenses can be expected to help a person regain vision bypassing surgery. Fifth, a sensor ring is like a watch and can track basic physiological metrics. In addition, such devices can track sleep phases and study patterns of a persons nighttime behavior. Last for this slide, but not last at all, is a medical mask to filter incoming air. This incredibly relevant 2020-2021 device uses multiple fans to pump air and built-in filters to remove pathogenic and dust particles.

How Can This Help Medicine?

The connection of WMD multiplicity to medicine is transparent. The user uses any of the devices (or a combination of them) of choice, and the data collected are analyzed using the devices built-in intelligence. This machine analysis allows assumptions and predictions to be made about a patients health progression. For example, a wearable ring or watch can alert a person in advance of heartbeat irregularities to prevent a heart attack. On the other hand, built-in glucose sensors can tell if the reading is out of normal range, which means diabetes is developing. Thus, the importance of such WMD technologies for medicine is undeniable: they allow to automate and optimize health care. However, they can be improved even further. For example, with the development of appropriate legislation, the clinical data collected could be sent to the users physician for a more reliable assessment. Thus, the doctor will be able to alert the patient if his or her data show the development of pathophysiological conditions.

Implications for the Future

It is to be expected that the number and quality of WMD products offered will increase exponentially in the future. This will be due not only to the development of the industry market but also to gaining increasing recognition from the academic community. Academics already estimate that wearable device shipments have increased by 156% in the last two years, and indeed, this figure will continue to trend upward (Comstock, 2018). In addition, WMDs have several avenues for development. First, such technologies will become increasingly personalized, which means taking individual patient characteristics into account. Second, improvements in software allow for greater collection sensitivity, which improves the quality of medical research. Third, the range of functionality is expanding: from measuring temperature or pulse in 15 seconds, WMDs can come to detect cancer at the same time. Thus, the field is increasingly being integrated into the medicine of the future, which means that the healthcare sector is being seriously transformed. It is becoming more optimized, reliable, and widespread: users from all over the world will be able to purchase smart devices, which means medicine will become more accessible.

Conclusion

In summarizing the project, it should be emphasized once again that medicine is rapidly transforming, and we should expect that the integration of smart technologies will enhance this progress. Smart technology, or more precisely WMD, should be referred to as any electronic device that automatically reads and analyzes patient health data in autonomous mode to personalize treatment. Such data can be processed directly by the WMD or by the treating physician if legislation is developed. As a result, WMD technology is significantly changing the medicine of the future.