Medical wearables:
The next generation of smart technology
The consumer wearables market is extremely competitive, with brands constantly looking for the best ways to improve the durability and usability of its products. And, the same can be said for companies producing medical wearables, particularly as the market is expected to reach an astonishing $14.41 billion by 2022.
While the premise behind consumers wearables – like smartwatches and fitness trackers – and medical products are the same i.e. they need to be comfortable, easy to use and not cumbersome, their functions serve very different purposes.
Consumer fitness can help users stay in shape, but medical wearables can collect biometric data to help with patient diagnoses, administer medicine to alleviate pain and can even diagnose life-threatening conditions like Parkinson’s Disease. It’s fair to say medical wearables are more mission-critical than consumer wearables.
Another key differentiator between the two and a primary reason behind why medical wearable devices haven’t reached the mainstream yet is the stringent safety standards they must meet. They must be validated by the FDA and ISO standards, and the accuracy and reliability of the devices must be strictly monitored too.
There’s a big difference between misinterpreting how many stairs a person climbs and measuring an irregular heartbeat.
While strict regulation has held back the progression of medical wearables to date, there are some enhancements that could be implemented to help drive them to the mainstream.
The integration of EPD technology could allow brands and manufacturers to successfully revamp their medical wearable devices. With its reflective, lightweight and bi-stable display qualities, we could see Plastic Logic’s technology offering a promising transformation in all areas of healthcare provision. They will be able to support the evolution of the med-tech industry as it attempts to keep up with the ever-changing needs of patients.