It is without a doubt that we are in the middle of technological evolution, especially in the healthcare industry.
Not only did telehealth and telemedicine challenge conventional way of offering healthcare services, but the rise of wearable devices like smartwatches, fitness trackers, smart glasses and hearing devices suggests that there are wearable devices available for every need.
Don’t miss out on the latest trends! Check out the top wearable devices for health monitoring by reading this blog until the end.
But first, let us answer the question,
What Is Wearable Technology In Healthcare?
In healthcare, wearable devices for health monitoring refer to a wide range of wearable devices and supportive accessories.
Detectors, actuators, software, and electronic patches bonded to the skin are used in medical wearables to monitor a patient’s health, identify any problems, and even treat health conditions. Wearable vital signs monitors, smart watches with glucose monitors, and wearable pain management devices are all examples. The global wearable tech market peaked at $40.65 billion in 2020 and is predicted to expand at a 13.8% annual compounded rate from 2021 to 2028.
Top 3 Wearable Devices For Health Monitoring For 2023
Among the many wearable devices available today, they usually fall between these categories of smart devices that all help in monitoring health and offering health services.
Smart Implants
These devices are implanted into the body and communicate with its organs and tissues to monitor, diagnose, or treat medical diseases. Biocompatible materials, including polymers, titanium, and stainless steel are used to create these devices.
Implantable smart devices can be either passive or active. Implantable passive smart devices run entirely on body energy and don’t contain any electronics. Implantable smart devices that are active have electronics and run on batteries.
Smart Clothing
This is commonly referred to as linked clothing or wearable devices made up of items with woven-in electronics and sensors. Batteries or small generators that turn body heat into electricity frequently power the device.
The sensors may be used to monitor a range of biometric data, including skin temperature, respiration, and heart rate.
At a CAGR of 15%, the smart clothing industry is anticipated to increase from approximately USD 1.4 billion in 2020 to USD 2.8 billion by 2025. The market for wearable technology, fitness and sports uses, wearable devices, and the development of textile technologies are all contributing to the market’s expansion.
Smart Patches
This wearable device can be fastened to the body and used to deliver medication or track various health indicators. These wearable devices for health monitoring are typically light and flexible, making them cozy to wear for extended periods.
Numerous sensors that track physiological variables, including heart rate, body temperature, and blood oxygen level, are typically included in smart patches. The sensors can also be utilized to monitor changes within the parameters over time and notify you if your body is exhibiting any unusual behaviours.
Additionally, the patch can have a tiny chip that gradually releases medications into the body. For instance, it might provide diabetics with consistent dosages of insulin all day or night.
What Qualifies It As Wearable Device For Health Monitoring?
With such a large market, it’s not surprising that many makers of medical products are working on wearable healthcare products, whether they’re updating an existing model or starting from scratch with a wearable device.
However, the development of wearable technology for healthcare does not follow the same path as traditional medical devices; therefore, developers must keep a few key points in mind to utilize these wearable devices for healthcare monitoring.
- Connectivity. Monitoring a patient’s vital signs and collecting data to inform the patient’s healthcare providers, and assisting in creating a treatment plan is one of the key uses of wearable technology for monitoring healthcare. The device needs to be connected, whether it be through cellular, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth Low Energy. If doctors can’t easily access the data gathered by wearable heart monitoring devices, it won’t be of any use.
- Usability. Wearable medical devices must be able to endure the various settings that people encounter on a daily basis because it is worn on the body. Manufacturers of wearable devices for healthcare monitoring are constantly working to reduce their products’ weight and complexity while enhancing their design and usefulness.
- Size Restrictions. A gadget must be tiny enough to be worn on the body without discomfort, frequently beneath clothing, and still meet connection performance standards to be considered fully wearable. That translates to a ton of technology crammed into a tiny space, posing difficult design problems. That is why experience is needed to balance these conflicting objectives
- Battery. The battery life of the wearable device must be taken into account by producers to maximize convenience and usefulness. If a patient wears a wearable ECG monitor, changing or recharging the batteries frequently can be a hassle and detrimental to how well they can function.
Conclusion
The rise of wearable devices for health monitoring simply means that the healthcare industry is never going backwards. As we face the future with the advancement of technologies, we will still be experiencing more efficient and high-end ways to do a better healthcare service.
How about you? Are you in favour of these wearable devices? Share your thoughts in the comments.
