Wearable Fitness Technology Could Foretell The Future Of Remote Patient Monitoring

30 Jan 2014

Wearable wireless monitoring devices geared toward the fitness market are beginning to attract the attention of the health care industry, which recognizes the technology’s potential to provide an ideal patient monitoring tool. As more of this technology makes its way into the clinical setting, this trend is poised to change the traditional view of what is and is not a medical device.

As a technology, digital health has achieved a great deal in the past 10 years, with significant advances in computerization, wireless communication, and customized algorithms. However, the application of digital health technology is still a work in progress as the industry tries to determine the best ways to utilize the innovation coming from the cyber world in a demanding health care system. One of the areas where this technology seems to be a natural fit is remote patient monitoring, and the rise of interest in fitness-oriented devices (as well as health and wellness products) is starting to cross over into the clinical space. Investors, device manufacturers, and even some clinicians say the wireless technology currently being used in fitness products, and particularly the concept of wearable medical devices, has the potential to help a much larger population in the health care field and could improve the outlook for patients with a variety of conditions. As a result, this market is garnering a good deal of attention from companies and investors looking for “the next big thing” in health care technology.

Although the market for wearable medical devices is still in its infancy, projections have already started pouring in on the...