Which option describes wearable technology?
Wearable technology is a category of devices that are worn by people and typically work with an app to perform functions such as tracking movement, organizing tasks or providing location-specific information. These devices can also monitor physiological data to help with the diagnosis and management of certain diseases.
Typically, these devices are small enough to be worn and include sensors that can collect various types of biometric information like heart rate, blood pressure, activity level or sleep patterns and can connect wirelessly with an app for storage, processing and reporting. There are a wide variety of wearables available on the market including smartwatches, fitness trackers (e.g., Fitbit Charge), pet trackers, smart jewelry, AR/VR headsets and intelligent textiles.
Some wearables collect a range of different types of data and use machine learning (ML) algorithms to analyze and interpret that data, which can be helpful in the diagnosis and treatment of many health issues. For example, some wearables are designed to detect and report on anxiety and stress levels, while others can detect and report on symptoms of depression or panic attacks.
Some wearables can even be used to identify patterns in how a person responds to certain medications, which could allow physicians to make more informed prescription decisions and provide personalized patient care. However, more research is needed to develop best practices and validate wearables for drug development purposes. These best practices should include a need statement, context of use (COU), analytical validation and clinical validation (if necessary). In addition, it is important that wearables are non-invasive and tolerated by users so as not to cause questionnaire fatigue and undermine adherence to the project.
