By Mark Grenga, Business Development Analyst, DICOM Grid
Twitter: @dicomgrid
Fitbit… AppleWatch… Jawbone — Oh my! The age of personal fitness trackers is upon us and judging by its rapid growth, it is here to stay. Worldwide, healthcare is experiencing a massive shift in the way patients and physicians are interacting with medical records and information. Technology and Federal Regulations are among the many driving forces serving to reshape the medical industry; growing technological innovations such as Cloud technology and fitness trackers are inspiring a new era characterized by interactive, patient-centered care. With home health technologies projected to skyrocket — jumping from 14.3 million worldwide in 2014 to 78.5 million by 2020 — the ability for patients to access images, information, and updates is no longer a luxury but a necessity. As fitness trackers, Cloud technology, and other innovations continue to improve upon the immediacy and ease with which patients can access personal medical records, physicians and consumers alike are being prescribed an entirely new patient care experience.
Fitness trackers such as Fitbit’s “Charge HR”, Apple’s “Sport Watch”, and Jawbone’s “UP2” have made an enormous dent within an ever-expanding wearable technologies market. The Fitness tracker craze has transcended various demographics including age as both Millenials and older generations are exhibiting support for the use of wearable technologies within the fitness world and in other markets. Regarding fitness trackers specifically, consumers cite improved safety, healthier living, and ease of use when discussing the benefits of wearing such products. With features such as heart-rate monitoring, sleep tracking, and exercise progress reports, fitness trackers are redefining the ways in which consumers interact with and view personal health records. Currently, about 1 in 5 adults owns a wearable device. This number is expected to grow as healthcare and technology continue to fuse in an effort to bring patients’ needs to the forefront of EMR accessibility regulation.
Many are projecting healthy growth for the future of fitness tracking wearable device technology markets. As stated in the PWC article entitled, “Wearable Technology Future is Ripe”, “As wearable devices gain traction over the next five to ten years, they can help consumers better manage their health and their healthcare costs.” The article continues to point out that, “ wearables’ potential in the $2.8 trillion US healthcare system will only be realized if companies engage consumers, turn data into insights and focus on improving consumer health.” As Meaningful Use and other Federal Government regulations continue to guide healthcare systems toward more efficient, patient-centered processes it seems likely that the growing fitness tracker market will undoubtedly impact the future state of healthcare in the US and beyond.
Is your practice in shape for a health tech driven future?
This article was originally published on DICOM Grid and is republished here with permission.