Apple offers new ECG but there are problems on the horizon!
Recently, Apple came out with their new Apple Watch Series 4 with a 1-lead ECG – a great acknowledgement that the over century old ECG is still relevant. What it did not expect was the pushback from the healthcare community who, from the outset, complained and found that its inaccuracies were more of a burden than an asset. In the days after the announcement, complaints started arising. The biggest question that has been asked is why Apple went with the lowest denominator and not with top line 12 lead ECG? With a number of companies utilizing unique technologies and platforms, like the HealthWatch 12-lead garment, (healthwatchtech.com) or even Labtech (www.labtech.hu) and others.
Apple could have jumped far ahead of all its competitors – Samsung, Fitbit, Garmin and others – and won the race before it even started. These competitors are surly looking at the healthcare ecosystem and deciding who will be next in line for purchase to add to their own asset list!
So what are the complaints? Are they legitimate or just sour apples from those that were unable to foresee this coming?
Headlines like “The ECG in the new Apple Watch is a potential healthcare headache;”[1] The New ECG Apple Watch Could do More Harm than Good[2]; New Apple Watch heart monitor sounds great – here’s why it may not be[3] and many more are going to really diminish the desire for the Apple Series 4 ECG. Moreover, the increase of the burden on health systems because of the very high false-positive rates, will relegate this new device to the ash piles of history. The health services will be inundated with useless information from a “Dr. Google like device. While most medical companies spend years testing their products on thousands of people, Apple informed the FDA that for their ECG they only reviewed data from 588 people, about half of whom had permanent or persistent AFib. The app wasn’t able to classify about 1 out of every 10 rhythm recordings.
The ECG on the Apple Watch Series 4 is a gimmick like many of the other “gadget ECG’s” on the wrist. Is this news? Not really! If it is as accurate as the Apple 2 heart rate monitor, we, as netizens, have a lot to worry about!
