Consumer Tech Association Unveils A Consumer's Guide to mHealth Wearables

Consumer-facing mHealth is a thing now, and the organization overseeing the vast consumer technology landscape wants to make sure people know how to use their wearables.

The Consumer Technology Association has partnered with the Heart Rhythm Society to develop best practices for consumer use of mHealth wearables, including the growing array of smartwatches, fitness bands, eyeglasses and sensor-embedded clothing measuring cardiovascular activity.

The document, unveiled during CES 2020 this week in Las Vegas, aims to give those who are using mHealth and digital health devices guidance on how to understand and manage the capture, storage and use of personal health information.

“Digital health is changing lives for the better – providing more personalized care, delivering better outcomes and lowering costs,” Rene Quashie, CTA’s Vice President of Digital Health, said in a press release. “Wearable solutions are one of the fastest growing sectors in technology. And as more consumers capture personal health information, a cross industry-created guidance document has never been more important to provide clarity on the potential health and wellness benefits of wearables.”

The 11-page document comes at a pivotal time for the healthcare industry. Guided by the likes of Apple, Fitbit, Samsung, Withings and a host of other companies, consumer-facing mHealth is enjoying its time in the spotlight. According to the report, some 55 percent of consumers surveyed want to use mHealth devices to monitor their blood pressure, an increase of almost 10 percent from last year, and roughly half ant to monitor their heart health or stress.

Healthcare providers have long been wary of using consumer-facing technology because of a reluctance to trust the data coming from them or the ability to protect that data from prying eyes. But that’s changing as the technology gets better – as witnessed by the number of providers and payers at this year’s show and the popularity of the co-located Digital Health Summit. Event organizers say health and wellness technology saw a 15 percent increase in exhibit hall space and a 20 percent boost in exhibitors over last year’s show.

And with innovations like heart activity tracking in the Apple Watch, Fitbit wearables and a Withings smartwatch unveiled at CES 2020, the emphasis is on heart health.

At the same time, with some backlash reported over the cardiac monitoring capabilities of the Apple Watch, clinical acceptance of mHealth technology will be slow.

“(I)n this document we aimed to highlight this new intersection between consumer tech and health,” Nassir Marrouche, MD, a Salt Lake City-based cardiologist and the report’s lead author, said in the press release. “We want people to be aware of what these wearables have to offer, how they can increase knowledge about one’s health, and how clinicians are optimistic about the data wearables can deliver.”

“The collaboration between HRS and CTA is timely and important for both consumers and clinicians,” added HRS President Andrea Russo. “Chronic diseases are increasing in prevalence and wearables help people monitor their health to aid in earlier diagnosis and better management of their conditions; furthermore, they provide information to the user that fosters a healthier lifestyle.”

Even the CTA recognizes the bumps in the road.

“Two-thirds of users believe wearable technology has positively affected their health and activity,” the report notes. “At the same time, evidence suggests a gap between wearable use and changing behavior. Some studies show fitness trackers do not lead to weight loss, a reduction in cholesterol or blood pressure or fewer heart attacks or strokes or extend life. But the underlying premise holds strong for many clinicians: better engaged patients can lead to better outcomes.”

“Widespread use of these technologies is not without its challenges,” it concludes. “For some individuals, access to this technology is not a given. Some wearables can be expensive, and almost all rely on access to smartphones and/or internet connectivity. For clinicians and health systems, managing and interpreting large volumes of continuous monitoring data from wearables presents an enormous challenge. To make most effective use of these data, it will need to be integrated into clinicians’ workflow. This is an important step in overcoming obstacles related to the storage, privacy and security of data.”