Can Your Smartwatch Send You To The Hospital?

If you are among the millions of smartwatch owners with a cardiac abnormality detection feature, you might very well have tried this feature on yourself. But what would you do if it told you that you have atrial fibrillation (AFib), an irregular heart rhythm disorder that increases stroke risk? If you don’t have a history of cardiovascular ailments, you might, at first, think it’s an issue with the firmware, an incorrect reading or even a faulty device.  But what if the result persists after several tests; and even after other people who used the same watch showed normal results? You would likely consult your physician to determine if there’s a need to worry. If the results are negative, then all the better. But if your physician’s tests corroborate with the smartwatch’s results, then you could undergo potentially life-saving treatment. This is exactly what happened to Zsolt Varga, an IT-professional from Budapest, who we interviewed earlier this year. The Apple Watch he received as a present last Christmas correctly notified him of a previously undiscovered AFib. This allowed him to take preventive measures and have his physician monitor his condition well before any complications arose. And Mr. Varga is not the only one turning to the ER following notification of their smartwatch. However, not everyone who receives a smartwatch notification about a serious condition turns up as an actual clinically actionable case.  Researchers from Mayo Clinic ...
Source: The Medical Futurist - Category: Information Technology Authors: Tags: Lifestyle medicine Digital Health Research E-Patients Future of Medicine Future of Pharma Health Sensors & Trackers Healthcare Design Portable Medical Diagnostics Security & Privacy Telemedicine & Smartphones apple fda interview Source Type: blogs