Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Are wearable sensors ready for prime time? #HIMSS13

Some of us wear Fitbits and Nike+ FuelBands. These track our physical activity and even our sleep. Other people are wearing continuous glucose monitors or blood pressure monitoring watches. This year, we're seeing many new wearable sensors coming to market. Are wearable sensors ready for prime time? Perhaps, the bigger question is: are doctors ready to do something with all this data? Also, where do we draw the line between "consumer" health and professional health management? Patients who are using these wearable sensors are collecting massive amounts of data, but who's looking at the data?

Here at HIMSS, we heard that Qualcomm Life and WebMD are Collaborating to Bring Integrated Digital Health Resources and Tools to Consumers. Qualcomm Life’s 2net Ecosystem will attract new technology partners with the release of the 2net Hub API and SDK and the launch of the 2net Ecosystem Technology Certification Program.

I think 2013 will be a year where we will see a surge in wearable sensor activity. I predict that when December 2013 rolls around, wearable sensor gadgets will be some of the top gift items on people's Christmas wish lists. My Fitbit is getting quite old. I think it's time for a new self-monitoring gadget.

HIMSS13 coverage is sponsored by HP. HP’s extensive portfolio of products, solutions, services and relationships can help your healthcare organization achieve quality business practices and provide quality patient care.

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