Top 6 Wearable Devices in Healthcare

Technology is everywhere today, and it’s only going to continue spreading and evolving. In recent years, there has been an enormous push toward smart technology, especially wearable devices including smartwatches, fitness trackers, and healthcare gadgets. And the healthcare industry is no different.

Throughout this article, we’re going to focus on the top wearable devices within the healthcare industry. 

Here are the top 6 wearable devices in the Healthcare industry

Let’s explore the top six wearable devices in the healthcare industry:

Continuous Glucose Monitors

Anyone with diabetes will tell you that daily finger pricks to measure glucose levels become tiring. Luckily, innovation has created a wearable called a continuous glucose monitor, often referred to as a CGM. These small devices look like a patch from the outside, and they stick to the arm or stomach using a painless needle and a super adhesive surface. The CGM measures blood sugar levels 24/7 and sends information to a smartphone. Then, the information can be used to spot irregularities and bring blood sugar back to its regular level. 

Sports and Fitness Trackers

Fitbit was founded in 2007 and is the most widely recognized fitness tracker on the market. However, the device spawned more innovative tech from the likes of Samsung, Garmin, and Apple. These companies developed technology for measuring stress levels, blood oxygen, heart rate, and respiration. 

As well as dedicated trackers, smartwatches have healthcare-tracking capabilities. However, dedicated fitness trackers are much more efficient because they’re designed to promote and motivate people to get moving and live healthier lifestyles. 

Electronic Skin Patches

Electronic skin patches have been creeping into the healthcare industry since around 2018 and continue to see a rise in popularity. These patches are similar to CGMs, but they adhere to the skin without a needle. Wireless transmitters inside the patch send vital information to smartphones or healthcare professionals. There are many different types of electronic skin patches, as you can see in this article. 

ECG Sensors

Wearables including smartwatches and fitness trackers have burst into the commercial and health markets, and with good reason. Joining in on the wearables revolution is electrocardiogram (ECG) tech, which comes included with many different smartwatches and trackers. 

Being able to measure heart activity and recognize anomalies is great news for healthcare professionals. In particular, ECG monitors have the power to detect atrial fibrillation (Afib), which is a condition that often goes unnoticed. 

Wearables for Healthcare Alerting

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that one in every four adults over 65 falls every year. Wearable devices can be given to high-risk individuals, who can be provided with immediate care in the event of a fall. This helps to give independence to aging adults for much longer, which is great for their mental health and frees up spaces in care homes. 

Most alerting devices are either attached to clothes or worn around the wrist, and they have wireless transmitters for sending fall alerts to healthcare providers. Information can be accessed via smartphone, meaning the close family can receive alerts as well. 

Wearable Drug Delivery

The Covid-19 pandemic paved the way for remote contact, and the healthcare industry was no different. Wearable drug delivery devices aren’t new, but they align perfectly with the remote world of the pandemic and have seen improvements over the last few years. 

The wearable drug delivery market hasn’t reached its full potential yet, as it’s estimated to increase in value by around 8.9% by 2028. Examples of wearable drug delivery systems include discreet injectors, subcutaneous devices, and needle-free injectors. 

Final word

The healthcare industry continues to be improved by tech advances. There are AI machines these days that can presumably detect the warning signs of stroke and cancer, and most of these devices are wearable. It is no wonder that wearable devices are saving people’s lives and allowing them to live more independently and healthily – both physically and mentally. It’s been 15 years since wearables began the revolution, and it will be interesting to see what the landscape looks like in another 15 years.