The HealthWatch Blog

February 1, 2018

Up to now, our discussions have focused mainly on smartwatches but in addition to the fitness and wellness sphere or ecosystem, the ability to transfer medical data is becoming progressively imperative with these devices. The ultimate aim of the physician is that they will be able to send a patient home with a wearable device that will be able to track their recovery. Up till now, the monitor companies have tried to place the medical parameters in the smartwatches – but why are we so fixated on the wrist? We all know that the wrist “is not the best position” for medical technology placement due to the vast lack of homogeneousness and diversity between people.

January 1, 2018

Truthfully, the sub-question to this question is what is the difference between a “device” that is ‘nice to have’ and a device that is ‘clinically proven.’ With the explosion of the “wrist-band” generation and the impressive marketing messages on the ample marketing platforms, many of the netizens are confused as to what is their wrist or chest band. Many co-digital junkies compliment the “medical utility” of their bracelet (notwithstanding the brand) and I am always astounded at their shock when I tell them that it is not a medical device but rather at best, a wellness device with no medical or clinical evidence.

December 1, 2017

Last time we discussed the genesis of biometrics as part of our lifestyle. This month I would like to discuss the problems that we are finding with wearables and how we overcome them (or not). Like most new technologies, and this is no different, there are teething problems, and our specific ecosystem has had many. Even with all the issues, there has not been a dampening effect and the field of wearables and dressables is growing extraordinarily for a relatively expensive area of interest. Nonetheless, or, then again, troubles do lie ahead for the wearable community.

November 1, 2017

So what is the wearables ecosystem and how does it play a role in our day-to-day lives? Currently this term is focused on a myriad of watches and wrist bands that have exploded in popularity in the consumer market – but this is wrong in the macro perspective. Wearables can be classified roughly into 4 1/2 categories (the ½ category is very new but growing in leaps and bounds). These products take advantage of the latest advances in miniature accelerometers, gyroscopes, batteries, touch screens and sensors.

October 1, 2017

Ok, I admit it, I am a junkie. Not your typical garden variety Generation Baby Boomers junkie, but rather a Gen Z junkie. I am addicted to wearables and dressables (e-clothes) – those non-wired “attachments” that lets one know everything that we can know (up to now) about ones health – in other words I want to have, in my own hands, my own bio (health)-metrics. My obsession with biometrics started around 7 years ago when I was told that I weighed 1/10 of a ton (as per my brother).