The Drawbacks of Wearable Technologies in Healthcare

Wearable technologies with health sensors are among the latest trends we see today. These are electronic devices that individuals can attach to their bodies and collect data about their health status. Some standard wearable devices in healthcare include fertility and ovulation trackers, cardiac health wearable technologies, and fitness trackers. These tracking devices can track patients' data, store and analyze it, and share it in real time if the user authorizes it. Kang and Exworthy explain that this development is vital to empowering individuals to take charge of their health by helping them self-diagnose, self-monitoring, and encouraging behavior change (10). However, the application of wearable healthcare technologies comes with concerns, which have been identified as data quality, health equity, and data privacy and security. 

Data Quality

One of the significant concerns regarding wearable technologies in healthcare is the quality of the data collected by these devices. Canali et al. argue that it is nearly impossible to assess the data quality in the context of wearable devices, with different types of devices or sensors having different data collection practices (4). This variability in data collection means there is no standardized way of data quality assessment, which brings a significant issue in the regulation and use of the said data. For instance, a measure of oxygen saturation metrics will differ depending on whether it is collected on the wrist, nose, ear, or finger and which device, such as rings, watches, and earphones, was used to collect the data (Canali et al. 4). Therefore, there is an urgent need to settle on the best data quality assessment protocols used in healthcare wearable technologies for more practical applications.

Health Equity

Healthcare experts have noted that wearable technologies exacerbate the issue of health inequalities. Admittedly, some of these devices are easily accessible and do not require high literacy. However, the marginalized communities have different capacities and opportunities to use high-quality wearable devices compared to the more affluent and mainstream communities. For instance, concerns have been raised that individuals with little digital literacy and socioeconomic status are disproportionately disadvantaged in access to these health tools, and even the individuals among these communities who access them often fall victim to targeted health surveillance and monitoring (Canali et al. 7). Andersen et al. concur with this assertion, noting that public health systems do not have adequate measures to mitigate against health inequities that arise from factors such as resources, networks, and other individual circumstances that hinder individuals from fully leveraging healthcare technologies (10). 

Data Privacy and Security

Healthcare wearable technologies correct patients' health data in real-time. However, they are not registered as health devices and, as such, are not expected to adhere to guidelines and regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Given that the applications and manufacturers are not likely to abide by healthcare rules and regulations on handling patient data, there is a real threat to the data being stored inadequately, misused, and accessed by unauthorized persons. Indeed, data breaches are common when data is handled poorly, while some healthcare wearable device manufacturers do not prioritize data security and eliminating intrusiveness (Gooderham 3; Canali et al. 9). Consequently, the users of these devices are exposed to risks such as their confidential health information falling in wrong hands and unauthorized usage of their data as would be seen in targeted marketing. 

Conclusion

Ultimately, wearable healthcare technologies are essential to giving patients greater autonomy over their health, but the abovementioned concerns must be addressed. The regulatory bodies and stakeholders must agree on the best way to standardize the collected data. This will make the data more useful to medical personnel and patients. Similarly, the users must be protected from potential health inequality claims by ensuring that all people, regardless of background and distinctions, have equal and fair use of these devices. Lastly, manufacturers must invest in cybersecurity to safeguard patient data and avoid the temptation to misuse the collected data. These measures will ensure that patients utilize healthcare wearable devices' full capability and potential without suffering any notable harm.