As more rumors float around the Internet for Apple introducing the new “iWatch”, it will likely enter an already crowded market where many devices coexist that offer similar features and options. But the area of interest in the uses of smartwatches would be its value to healthcare and potential offerings to both patients and clinical staff.
Similar to mobile devices, smartwatches will find their way to healthcare facilities, and there are many good reasons for considering them for patients as well as care providers. In today’s market, mobile devices have allowed patients to manage their treatment, medical information and conditions; they have also provided them with the ability to collect data through its variety of sensory data capture such as: Glucose levels readers, heart monitors and other vitals tracking sensors. However the question remains around what possibility smartwatches have that will allow them to capture and receive the success that smartphones are doing in the present.
While Smartwatches hold some potential limitations such as limited real estate or size, processing power and battery life, they still hold significant potential given the ease of information accessibility (not having to pull a phone out of your pocket) and universal connectivity capabilities that most smartwatches offer to communicate with smartphones and other devices.
Here are some examples of available functionality within these devices:
Alerts and notifications: For the majority of the smart watches available, there are numerous alerting capabilities that are being offered, ranging from new SMS, calls alerts, emails, appointment reminders as well as other third party Apps notification that would be relating to health information such as medication, vitals status (heart rate alerts) and such.
Controls: Another area that makes the smartwatches useful for many especially for sports fanatics is when it is being used to control playback as well as other functionality available through the Apps.
Sensory Data capture: With some of the smartwatches entering the market, many contain functionality for sensory data capture around heartbeat monitoring, location tracking, and connectivity with other vitals data capture.
Smartwatches not only can they be used as fashion accessories, but they can provide additional value to their users. Whether it is being used by patients of care givers, these devices are contining to offer more functionality that will have become more relevant over time as more mhealth products create Apps for these smart watches. There are currently a number of devices available such as Pebble, Motoactv, I’m watch, Metawatch, Cookoo, as well as the rumored iWatch and a possible Google Watch as well. This would only mean that these manufacturers see a growing market and will likely see more innovation around these devices.