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There is no research to suggest that wearing a smart watch improves health outcomes at all. How is knowing your vital signs continuously any better that taking periodic readings using conventional tools? You may be INTERESTED in that information, and you may be comfortable sharing it with marketers and other commercial interests, but that doesn't mean you're any healthier.
From the screen of my trusty Z10 using the exceptional BlackBerry VKB.
Smart watches are becoming more sophisticated every day.
If you are on blood pressure medicine it clearly is important to know your vital signs more often than once in a while.
If you have afib, it is clearly important to know your cardiac rhythm more than once in a while.
If you are diabetic, it is clearly important to know your blood sugar more than once in a while.
Need I go on?
For the average person without major medical issues, keeping track of steps, calories burned, etc. is more of a novelty to keeping yourself in shape. Much different than having a medical issue that can negatively affect your life.
You have a theory of a benefit, not evidence. If smart watches really do improve outcomes for hypertension, diabetes, and cardiac irregularities, then health insurers will begin reimbursing for them as medical devices, because they are much cheaper than a single hospital admittance.
Until we see that, or published research, I remain skeptical that there is any health benefit to continuous monitoring for chronic medical conditions like the ones you mention.
From the screen of my trusty Z10 using the exceptional BlackBerry VKB.
It’s already happening. Devices, not smart watches yet, are utilized to help defer readmissions by monitoring vital signs, etc in a patients home. The data is transferred directly to their physician and corrective interventions can be applied.
As these devices get smaller they will be become more mainstream in watches or other wearables.
You can read of cases where a persons Apple Watch detected they were in rapid afib (elevated, irregular heart rate) and were directed or went directly to an ER for intervention. If I were one of these patients I would appreciate the always on monitoring that could save my life.
FYI, I am in healthcare and deal with these situations every day. As you stated, insurance companies absolutely want to prevent hospitalizations and this is one way they are looking to as a solution.
I am sure there are anecdotal cases of benefit, and I'm not saying they can't help some patients. I am just skeptical of their value for the vast majority of consumers.
Also, I'll add that wearables are extremely useful for gathering data in clinical trials. They are much more reliable than traditional patient record-keeping!
From the screen of my trusty Z10 using the exceptional BlackBerry VKB.
You are a skeptical person, I get it. You have one way of looking at things. We should all be aware of how our data is collected and used but shouldn’t shun technology and how it can help (some of) us.
These usage cases will only benefit a small amount of people at first, those where this monitoring is critical. Much like PC’s were only for business (I believe Microsoft told Steve Jobs that people would never want a computer in their home and basically laughed at him) as the technology develops it will find more people who can benefit from it. The world is moving in this direction and we can either go live on a remote island by ourselves or be part of the solution.
Exactly why I got a mechanical watch (with option to wind up), the automatic type. Don't need all of that fancy stuff, just something that keeps the time, doesn't need a battery re/charge/place.
From my BlackBerry Q5 on Freedom Mobile 3G HSPA+
I don't see those as the only options. I am willing to share my data when there is a demonstrable, quantitative benefit to me, but not simply because "it's the future." My business is based on seeing information both in terms of reward AND risk. I'll accept a possible risk only when I can be sure of a definite reward.
For example, while health record privacy is protected by law, most of the data collected by wearables is not. There is a very real risk that a potential employer could obtain information about a chronic health condition that would affect one's employment. As the owner of a company that self-insures for health, I would avoid knowingly hiring someone with uncontrolled diabetes or hypertension if I could. This technology might make that a trivial task. We need much better protections in place before I will voluntarily submit any information about my health without a clear need and protection.
By the way, almost anyone who uses the Internet or social media with their real identity and searches the Internet in the same browser instance without script and cookie management is already risking this scenario. There are many data aggregating services that allow employers, private investigators, etc. to see really detailed profiles of individuals, including products purchased online.
I live a rich online life, definitely not on a techless island, but I try to do it without ever sharing any information that is tied to my real-world identity. So, for example, I don't use my bank-issued credit cards online (I use Privacy.com.). I use detailed aliases for all of my online accounts, except where prohibited by law. I do not identify or tag family members, use my real name, or my real location, schools, birth date, etc. on social media, or use my photograph for my profile photos. (I use thispersondoesnotexist or random photos of dogs.). When I see photos identifying me on the Internet, I have them removed, etc.
I spend 6-16 hours a day online and have thousands of connections. All of my friends, family, clients and professional colleagues know my actual of course, and none of them mind that I use my aliases when communicating with them.
This may seem extreme to you, but to me it's simply good cyber hygiene. Just as I would never let my children share their real identity online until they turn 18 and can decide for themselves. They all have fun alias handles they use with all their friends, many of who do the same.
Do you look a little like your profile-comic book-style avatar here on CB? Just curious that's all! Hope you don't mind the prying. :-)
My avatar is of my long gone greyhound wearing slippers in the early 2000's.
Posted via CB10
I look somewhat like that, yes, except for my gender, age, race and head shape. ;-)
From the screen of my trusty Z10 using the exceptional BlackBerry VKB.
At least your eye wear is a known quantity now!
Posted via CB10
You’re like a broken record. We’ve all heard it over and over again.
You are not the norm, nor do I believe you want to be. When I am posting comments on here I’m not even thinking about someone like you, I’m talking about the rest of us.
What I have stated about wearables is factual and will continue to progress. Many, many people will benefit (not you). Many, many people will continue to develop and utilize these improvements (not you). I don’t know what to say anymore.
I've never aspired or claimed to be "the norm," whatever that is. If you're bored by my posts, you're under no obligation to read them. I don't mind when you continually and indefatigably advocate for an optimistic future where technology does nothing but improve our lives. Why do you mind when I disagree and suggest an alternate viewpoint?
I simply disagree that wearables are an unmitigated force for good. Why does that frustrate you?
From the screen of my trusty Z10 using the exceptional BlackBerry VKB.
It’s difficult to have a conversation with someone who only sees the world in their view. When did I ever say “wearables are an unmitigated force for good”? You exaggerate to try to make your point.
Yes, I am optimistic for the future. I’m glad I’m not like you and always looking at the negative. I won’t apologize for that.
I'm sorry if that's your perception of me. While I firmly believe that cyber insecurity is one of the biggest threats to civilization (less than climate change, but greater than nuclear war or global pandemics), I try hard to respect other perspectives. Some of your statements seemed extremely positive about wearables with a dismissive attitude that people should either fully embrace them or live on an island. I was responding to that false dichotomy.
From the screen of my trusty Z10 using the exceptional BlackBerry VKB.
BlackBerry isnt done people.
The Trademark is too valuable for nobody to make another device. Even if it's LG/Motorola/Samsung, etc. Somebody will do it as long as there are a mix of Android devices competing with Samsung. The TCL deal clearly didn't work well but we will see another BlackBerry. I would bet on it any day.
This conversation about watches got started from folks yearning for a customizable notification LED. Someone pointed out that the Apple Watch offers a very high degree of control over notifications... I have distinct haptic taps that tell me if a text or email is coming from my family, my bank, or different members of my research team. It works great. In fact, it seems like the natural extension of efficient mobile communication that Blackberry pioneered back in the day.
I am certain if RIM had offered this in 2012, CB would have echoed with cheers and celebratory gunfire.
And speaking as someone who has no interest in sharing data with insurance companies or anyone else, I love tracking my runs, streaming an audiobook, and managing boarding passes from my watch.
I never again want to wear a watch that merely tells time. Mechanical watches are lovely and ingenious devices. So is a fine riding saddle. Old tech is awesome and fun for hobbyists, for sport, or for collectors. But I don’t ride a horse to the airport, and when I’m there I like that my watch will update me on fate changes without having to fish my phone out of my pocket.
It's great that you like the notifications on your watch. But it doesn't sound like something I would want. To me it's using two gadgets when one will suffice. Maybe if I wore a watch anyway I'd feel differently.
From the screen of my trusty Z10 using the exceptional BlackBerry VKB.
I’m sure you meant flight changes but if your watch also does “fate” changes and save you from being on a doomed flight, that’d be cool and eerie at same time.
“Gate” changes was the intention, but your point stands... who wouldn’t want notifications of “fate changes”?
Why do you carry a phone when a laptop would suffice? Or a laptop when a desktop does everything a laptop does? It's an extension of an existing computing infrastructure that exists to bring convenience to the game. Same as a smartphone did. Same as laptops did.
There were plenty of people (Dvorak for one) asking why anyone would want a computer in their pocket when laptop systems did everything they needed. We probably all agree that they misjudged the utility of smartphones. Same thing is happening now with wearables.
As long as the humor was understood, good luck with the gate and fate changes
Seriously? That's like going from a 2004 Chevrolet Colorado to a 2018 Chevrolet Camaro. (The Note 10 being the corvette )
If trademark is so valuable, then why does it always fail since 2013 or so?
I carry a smartphone when I have a laptop for reading and sending emails quickly. A watch is neither a suitable display for reading long emails nor a suitable interface for drafting and editing them. I am happy that you like yours, but not everyone wants a display on their wrist.
From the screen of my trusty Z10 using the exceptional BlackBerry VKB.