Part II - Can wearables be the new type of medicine? Case study from Apple

After familiarizing you with the concept of wearable technology, on this particular blog post I am going to present a case study from (possibly) the biggest and trendiest company on the market: Apple. It is widely known that they conquered the world with their fashionable iPhones, and in 2015, when the first Apple Watch was launched, it was already clear that the company would also dominate the niche of wearables.

It is nice to see that tech giants like Apple have an interest for the well-being of humanity, as they recently announced a health research taking place. Janssen Pharmaceutica (subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) teamed up with Apple in the research of studying atrial fibrillation, and the link between this illness and Apple Watch. In this scenario, a wearable technology can early identify any sign of heart issues. Quoting Apple CEO Tim Cook, he stated that he wishes healthcare would be the company's "most important contribution to mankind", as they are developing gadgets with the potential to save the lives of customers suffering from undiagnosed illnesses (Wired.uk, 2020).

The research called Heartline Study was meant to provide information about the link between the Heartline Study app (installed on an iPhone) and the likelihood of stroke. This can be done by adding an electrocardiogram app on the Apple Watch, which can detect irregular heart rhythm and atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (or Afib) is a very common disease in the United States of America, being the no. 1 cause of stroke. The illness usually has few to zero symptoms, this being the reason why patients find about it only after a serious cardiac event. This case study is very important because it is believed that it represents the biggest trial ever conducted in the history of cardiovascular research.

With the help of Stanford University School of Medicine, they are developing an app which detects irregular heart rhythms and, moreover, virtually connect people with a doctor. In my opinion, this study has a huge potential to fundamentally change humanity's perception on digital health gadgets. The ECG app can send notifications on the Apple Watch, thus alarming patients when they need to take their medication or even go to a hospital. It can also prompt life-saving conversations with doctors, while improving health outcomes.

Through the app-based approach, the study will enable participants to engage in the study remotely using their iPhones and in some cases an Apple Watch, rather than traveling to a clinical trial site. This approach to conducting a clinical trial, if successful, could potentially save time and money. “This study also provides insight into the way digital alerts result in engagement with the health care system. That 76% of notified participants who returned a survey contacted either the telemedicine provider or a nonstudy provider suggests that many actively sought medical attention.” (extract from Apple’s “Large-Scale Assessment of a Smartwatch to Identify Atrial Fibrillation”)

Fortunately, Apple is not focusing only on heart issues, as they came to the conclusion that wearables give them a lot more opportunities related to healthcare. In 2019, they released an app (Cycle Tracking) which helps women track menstrual cycles and period symptoms, and another one (Noise app), which detects the decibel levels of an individual's surroundings, as loud sounds can be the cause for irreversible hearing loss. For the future, they are planning to introduce glucose sensors, oxygenation level, blood pressure and stress level sensors.

From the competitors’ point of view, Apple is not the only health saviour on the market. Cyrcadia Health has developed iTBra, an intelligent patch that can detect early signs of breast cancer and transmit the information to a lab for analysis. Using thermodynamic sensors, their hi-tech bra detects circadian temperature anomalies and tumours in a woman's breasts (Zhou, 2015). Gadi Amit, the founder of FitBit, stated in an interview that capturing data from sensors while sitting on a hospital bed is different from capturing data while users are going about their daily life. "The continuous, mobile monitoring can be much more insightful. This is potentially a new type of medicine.”

In 2020, Coventry-based start-up Feraru Dynamics launched their HAV-Sentry glove (Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome) after two years of developing prototypes and completing validation tests. Their product ensures the safety of construction workers of operating tools by monitoring vibrations created by heavy machinery. By analyzing the data, it alerts them when dangerous levels are being reached so they know to take a break. Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome is a serious illness that can be prevented, but once the damage is caused, it can lead to permanent lack of grip strength, white fingertips, numbness and thingling in the hands and arms.

From the marketers’ point of view, it is clear that these “medicinal” wearables provide a fresh occasion for them to grow and establish a strong connection between their products and customers. People demand the help of technology more than ever, and marketers can easily take advantage of that by creating adapted strategies, tailored to their needs.

References

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