Wearable health tech

The advancement of ubiquitous computing health metric collection has resulted in the popularity of wearable accessories which collect health data. Examples include the Fitbit devices and the Apple Watch. These types of smartwatch devices are referred to as “activity trackers” to reference their capability to capture and analyze movement. The Apple Watch specifically sold more watches in the fourth quarter of 2016 than Rolex, Omega, and Swatch combined . It had also represented almost half of all smartwatch units, with Fitbit following, and nearly 80% of smartwatch revenue, amounting to USD $2.6 billion.

A stock photo of a user looking at their phone which captures physical activity data collected by the user's Apple Watch.

Popular Features

Smartwatches come with a variety of features such as messaging, alarms, calendar, and other application connection. In addition to those, many offer or focus only on capabilities for health tracking. These devices can capture comprehensive data (such as altitude in addition to distance), analyze the data, and display them in relation to each other in the form of an activity tracker.

Devices are gaining capabilities to motivate users as well to be mindful of their health, in the form of encouraging visualizations of data and reminders to be active. For example, the Apple Watch has default reminders to stand at certain intervals, such as once an hour, and has the capability to evaluate whether the user has stood or not.

Smartwatches may also provide the framework for 3rd-party developers to create apps to further expand the selection of capabilities of health-related initiatives.

Heart-rate monitor

The heart-rate monitor is one popular feature of wearable tech. Devices such as the Apple Watch and Fitibits use photoplethysmography to measure the user’s heart rate. These devices have the capabilities to record rates at different intervals throughout the day and adapt to the interval of collection when detecting activity, such as running.

Users have used such wearable tech devices to monitor their heart rate for issues. Cases have occurred when users were able to detector early signs of a heart attack using a Fitbit and the Apple Watch even provides the capability to alert the user if the device records an unusually high spike in heart rate during leisurely activity.

Calories burned

Smartwatches and wearable health technology are often able to calculate calories burned in some form for the purpose of evaluating a workout or cardio activity. The Apple Watch used the motion and heart monitoring data it collects to determine calories burned. The Fitbit estimates using the heart rate tracker and BMR data A user can make use of the caloric data to evaluate their activity and calories burned against the caloric intake they have manually logged for the day.

Sleep monitoring

Smartwatch devices and wearable tech may also offer services for sleep monitoring. These services use movement and heartrate monitoring to calculate time of sleep, time of waking up, duration of sleep, and movement between cycles and depth of sleep.

Benefits

In addition to physical health, devices are also interested in addressing mental health and mindfulness. The Apple Watch by default offers a “Breathe” function which prompts the user throughout the day to pause and monitor their breathing. The Watch signals the user to inhale and exhale at calculated moments.

The Apple Watch App Store also has a comprehensive section for health-related apps which includes multiple apps focused on guided meditation and mindfulness

Researchers have found benefit for patients when an activity tracker is used to motivate physical activity for patients with depression. Activity tracking devices were used to complement behavioral activation therapy; patients cited “positive experiences included self-awareness, peer motivation and goal-setting opportunities” as well as “[n]egative themes included inconvenience, inaccuracies and disinterest".

Controversy and Concerns

The criticism has occurred on whether the collection, storage, and analysis of this data is ethical. For example, the risk of data used to track distance for running be used as a form of location services, where anyone can see where the individual is.

In 2018, a heat map by fitness app Strava was released which highlighted the routes of all their users – including running and bike riding paths. The app is offered on the Apple Watch as well. This caused controversy as military personnel were using this app as well. While military bases had been identified before using other mapping services, this capability of wearable devices to track both running and riding locations in addition to the frequency of use made it possible to see transpiration routes as well. This could cause a threat to military personnel as anyone could see how what paths Strava app users are moving on and also with what speed and frequency. The military is currently looking into any implications of the map

In 2009, David Shoemaker wrote a paper regarding self-exposure and informational privacy. He explores if there’s a way to come to terms whether it is ethically incorrect to share “innocent” personal data. In his exploration, he cites another author, Helen Nissenbaum, who has created a framework to justify the issue. First, just because data is offered, does not mean it can be ethically right for a party to gather and analyze it for a different context. For example, though the Strava location information was meant for an individual’s use to track their exercise, it is ethically wrong for someone to gather that data and use it to attack military personnel. Because – according to Nissenbaum – while bits of data may not be impactful, the collection of data could expose people. Therefore, user’s can feel be justified in feeling uncomfortable if their location data is being gathered and profiled. User’s now must be mindful about the collection, storage, and privacy setting of location services for their wearable technology. It is critical that they understand its implications and whether they are comfortable with what someone can do with a mass amount of such information.