The rise of consumer health wearables: promises and barriers

Piwek, L, Ellis, DA, Andrews, S ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9916-9433 and Joinson, A, 2016. The rise of consumer health wearables: promises and barriers. PLOS Medicine, 13 (2): e1001953. ISSN 1549-1676

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Abstract

Will consumer wearable technology ever be adopted or accepted by the medical community? Patients and practitioners regularly use digital technology (e.g., thermometers and glucose monitors) to identify and discuss symptoms. In addition, a third of general practitioners in the United Kingdom report that patients arrive with suggestions for treatment based on online search results. However, consumer health wearables are predicted to become the next “Dr Google.” One in six (15%) consumers in the United States currently uses wearable technology, including smartwatches or fitness bands. While 19 million fitness devices are likely to be sold this year, that number is predicted to grow to 110 million in 2018. As the line between consumer health wearables and medical devices begins to blur, it is now possible for a single wearable device to monitor a range of medical risk factors. Potentially, these devices could give patients direct access to personal analytics that can contribute to their health, facilitate preventive care, and aid in the management of ongoing illness. However, how this new wearable technology might best serve medicine remains unclear

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	PLOS Medicine
Creators:	Piwek, L., Ellis, D.A., Andrews, S. and Joinson, A.
Publisher:	Public Library of Science
Date:	2 February 2016
Volume:	13
Number:	2
ISSN:	1549-1676
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001953 DOI
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Jonathan Gallacher
Date Added:	02 Jun 2016 08:29
Last Modified:	11 Sep 2018 12:45
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/27919

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