What Apple, Google smartwatches are learning about our health
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Apple Watches were tested by customers at the Apple Marunouchi shop in Tokyo on September 7, 2019, in Tokyo, Japan.
Tomohiro Ohsumi | Getty Images
Companies like Nike offer fitness trackers Apple, AmazonPlease see the following: GoogleThey are moving from low-tech gadgets that only counted steps, to being what is fashionable in personal healthcare.
It can be fun and useful to track your fitness or workout data and share it with others. But there’s an increasing interest in incorporating a wider range of medical data into the digital health ecosystem — piggybacking on the dramatic rise in remote telehealth services necessitated during the Covid-19 pandemic — making individuals’ information accessible to physicians and hospitals as part of electronic medical health records.
More than 10 years ago, the wearables market was in full swing with devices that track your basic exercise, sports activity, and workout. Nearly everything is available now. 30% of Americans now use a wearable health care device, many of which now have the capabilities to track, monitor and transmit data on heart rate and rhythm, blood pressure, body temperature, blood sugar levels, quality of sleep and even early warning signs of Covid-19 infection.
Fitbit launched the trend in 2009 by launching a clip-on device that monitored the wearer’s sleep, movements and calories. This model was transformed into a wristband that has more biosensors, Bluetooth connectivity and can be used to download data from smartphones. Google parent Alphabet acquired Fitbit for $2.1 billion in January.
Apple first entered this space with its Watch in 2015. It added many health-related features and apps, and created an open platform that allows third-party programmers to develop tools for consumers and health care professionals. Apple has also collaborated with other fitness brands like Nike. StravaAdidas will allow users to sync activity apps to their watch. Strategy Analytics reports that Apple Watch sales reached nearly $13 Billion in 2020. That’s 65% revenue share of the smartwatch market.
Other Big Tech companies have also been attracted to this market, such as Amazon (maker of the Halo smartband) and Huawei (which unveiled their Watch 3 in 2017). There also are a variety of other smartwatch entrants from the consumer electronics realm, among them Samsung, Garmin and Withings.
Finnish startup Oura has created a pure-play ring that includes biosensors to monitor heart rate, body temperature and sleep. The company also announced in May a $100 million Series C round of funding, which brings its total investment to $148 million. Peloton reports that the company is now reportedly in talks to acquire Peloton. planning a digital heart rate armband.
The global market for wearable health and fitness devices — including sensor-laden watches, wrist bands, rings, skin patches, eyeglasses and clothing — reached more than $36 billion in 2020, according to Fortune Business Insights, and is projected to top $114 billion by 2028 at a CAGR of 15.4%. Deloitte Global predicts that the market segment just for smartwatches and smart patches will ship 320 million units worldwide in 2022, a figure likely to reach 440 million by 2024.
“There is significant money in this area from venture capital and private investment sources,” said Deloitte’s Paul Silverglate, vice chair and U.S. technology sector leader.
Several medtech companies have introduced smart patches, penny-sized swaths that adhere to the skin and use microscopic needles that act as biosensors and deliver medications. BioIntelliSense, based in Redwood City, Calif., created the BioSticker, worn on the upper left chest for continuous monitoring and data capture of respiratory rate, heart rate at rest and skin temperature. Publicly-owned Insulet, based in Acton, Massachusetts, has developed OmniPod, a patch that serves as an insulin pump.
Sensorized clothing has emerged, too. Montreal-based Hexoskin developed a line of smart shirts that collect cardiac, respiratory and activity data, and transmits it to an iOS or Android compatible device. The company partnered with the Canadian Space Agency on an extraterrestrial version, Astroskin, to track astronauts’ vitals while rocketing out of this world.
Accurate data and information
Beyond the technological capabilities, there is now the critical issue of efficacy — of the devices, the apps that link to them and the petabytes of data generated — which is leading wearables makers to coordinate with independent researchers to see if they deliver as advertised.
Joshua Hagen, a Research Associate Professor in The Ohio State University’s Department of Integrated Systems Engineering was studying biosensors over a decade back at The Air Force Research Labs, “before wearables really exploded onto the scene.” Hagen started to test devices on elite athletes in order to monitor their performance. Hagen stated, “There are tons of devices on the market. But we need to trust what’s being sent to us.”
Hagen discovered that where the device is worn makes a difference. For example, the Polar chest strap for monitoring heart rate has been around since 1980. It “has been validated in a thousand different ways.” The wrist can be used to measure resting heart rate. He said that fingers were a fascinating place, in reference to his research on the Oura Ring. One had the best accuracy, ranking second to chest straps.
A second study was launched following the Covid outbreak. It found that Hagen’s group could spot early signs of coronavirus infection by using an algorithm to Oura data. In a separate study, proof of concept was done to examine the effectiveness of wearables. It showed that they can detect fever (a common symptom in Covid) and other infection symptoms.
Apple joined forces with three research organizations to launch health studies that used the Apple Watch in November 2019. The Apple Watch is now available for purchase. women’s health projectThe Harvard School of Public Health is collaborating with the National Institutes of Health to increase understanding of menstrual cycles. This will also help to understand the relationship between them and various health conditions including osteoporosis, infertility, menopause, and other transitions. Apple’s heart and movement study, with Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the American Heart Association, is exploring how certain mobility signals and details about heart rate and rhythm could serve as potential early warning signs of atrial fibrillation, or Afib, heart disease or declining mobility.
What doctors might do with the data
A future in health wearables would see the public wearing smart devices that constantly download vital data. This will allow primary care providers to track and monitor patient’s health as well as respond quickly to emergency situations. Physicians need to be fully convinced that these devices can work and patients are using them safely.
To achieve this goal, the American Medical Association conducted a survey among physicians in order to gather their views on a wide range of digital tools for health, including wearables. Over 87% see some benefit in using digital health tools, particularly wearables or telehealth devices. However, doctors also stated that there are some “must-haves” for digital tools to be adopted by physicians. These include improved efficiency and greater protection of patient data. Meg Barron (AMA’s vice president for digital health strategy) stated that physicians are motivated by technology because it can help them provide better patient care.
For marketers, the most critical factor will be whether people actually buy and use wearables. “Health is a killer app category for consumers,” especially as the internet of things emerges, said Lauren Martin, senior internet and media analyst at Needham & Company. Users can have their health monitored while they are away from their home and their data transferred to an electronic medical record.
Martin stated that it is too soon to predict winners or losers. However, Apple has an advantage because of its distribution network via physical stores. So they can push the Watch when you walk into the store to buy an iPhone. Amazon will tie its health devices to Alexa [smart speakers].”
Martin does not count standalone players out, however, she’s eager to hear what will be revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show (Covid variants allowed) in January. It will be exciting to compare what the new companies have to offer to existing players,” she stated.
It’s true, “Who is wearing you?” The next trend axiom in health care may soon be “Who are you wearing?”
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