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Wearable Technology: The Coming Revolution in Digital Health

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Ritesh Patil

Afew years ago could anybody predict that daily visits to physicians, physically visiting doctors for common diagnostic procedures like checking blood pressure and blood sugar, a wide range of existing medical monitoring systems and products, will all become conventional methods in healthcare, that more than a million people would buy a watch that not only tells the time but tracks your workouts, too? But that’s exactly what happened.

Yes, we are in a world where the role technology plays in our lives is rapidly growing, as we are willing to be more and more dependent on it. The technology’s tendency to get faster and smaller at the same time has fueled the rise of wearable technology. No wonder, continuing evolution in wearable technology is paving the way for the emergence of advanced devices in the field of communication and navigation but perhaps, the greatest potential of wearable technology exists in the healthcare sector. Primarily owing to its ease of use and flexibility, wearable healthcare technology is gaining widespread popularity.

Now the Question Arises “What Is Wearable Technology?”

In the fields of health and fitness, wearable technology refers to electronic technologies or computers that are incorporated into items of clothing and accessories which can comfortably be worn on the body. Because it can provide sensory and scanning features not typically seen in mobile and laptop devices, such as biofeedback and tracking of physiological functions, wearable technology tends to be more sophisticated than hand-held technology available in the market today.

Evolution of Wearable Technology in Healthcare

Wearable technology’s roots are centuries old though it might feel like a new thing in the town. For us, the term, wearable technology is a reference to fitness trackers, smartwatches, smart clothing, or some more sophisticated tools like smart glasses, or AR/VR headsets, and similar devices. But the truth is that it has existed long back just in a different form and has evolved over time to give us today’s high tech wearable devices.

The evolution of wearables dates back to 1788 when Thomas Jefferson introduced the first ever pedometer. Another invention in this area was that of the “Lie Detector”. Back in 1921, the lie detector was created which was the first machine to have sensors which could measure Galvanic Skin Response (GSR), pulse rate, and blood pressure which indicated the physiological parameters of deceiving. This instrument was of great use to the police.

With time, innovations in this space were more powerful, stronger. 1961 saw an enthralling innovation – The first Wearable Computer – a time when computers were the size of the rooms. Innovations have been coming around from that point in time, be it of wearable hearing aids or the world’s first fully digital pacemaker – Vitatron C-Series in 2003.

Read more on wearable technology in healthcare

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Ritesh Patil
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