How wearables are empowering healthcare consumers.

Wearables are empowering health consumers now.

Did you know that women are 30-50% more likely to be misdiagnosed than men?

I discovered the stat on Sergey Young’s twitter feed. It happens to be very relevant to my heart experience. I was given several medical diagnosis over the years but it was my Apple Watch that sent me down the right path to a correct diagnosis.

Genetics vs. Epigenetics

Genetic risk factors are only one factor in medical risk. Lifestyle factors account for 60-80% of medical risk which makes Epigenetics more important than genetics.

Epigenetics is the expression of your genes and a reflection of lifestyle. My lifestyle gives me a very low medical risk to the extent that in Canada, I am waitlisted for some medical tests and follow up care.

Being waitlisted is fine because my medical urgency is low. Plus I am more empowered than ever to manage my own health and to play an active role in getting the right diagnosis. My physician continues to factor in the data from my Apple Watch into her recommendations.

Healthcare Consumerism

After twenty-five years, the shift to healthcare consumerism is finally happening. Holter Monitor coupled with a paper journal doesn’t capture the complete picture like the watch.

If you’re not aware, there are more modern devices [i.e. Zio by iRhythm Technologies, Inc.] available now. They may be better at establishing a baseline and identifying anomalies. However, cost and coverage limit widespread adoption.

The Apple Watch captures all of the details but there is no easy way to share it with healthcare providers yet. However, the value proposition of wearables to health consumers is becoming increasingly clear.

Given the level of information it captures on every activity and aspect of health, the question seems to be when not if wearables will start diagnosing medical conditions or at least providing the most likely diagnosis.

Healthcare Savings

Think about the healthcare savings for a minute: the cost of the base level SE Apple Watch [~$300] versus use of med tech and the time of a skilled technician, specialist and general practitioner. And that’s just for one test.

The Apple Watch and other wearables are no longer just step counters. They can help you live healthier and possibly, a longer life.