By 2020 — just over five years from now– an estimated 1.3 million lives could be saved through the use of smart wearables.
This is the attention-grabbing headlines and overarching finding of the report “The Wearable Healthcare Revolution,” by Swiss research firm Soreon Research, details of which were shared with MMW on Wednesday.
In Soreon Research’s view, smart wearables, a set of sensors attached to the body with a direct link to smart devices, are the most industry-disrupting innovation as well as a major opportunity to transform the healthcare system.
“Soreon’s researchers predict that the lion’s share of the reduction in mortality will be due to in-hospital monitoring (up to 700,000 avoided cases),” the report summary reads. “Currently, when patients move from intensive care units, monitoring is reduced drastically, leaving patients vulnerable.”
In particular, the monitoring of cardiovascular diseases (coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke, heart failure and others) by smart wearables could prevent 230,000 deaths.
“New wearable technology can easily extend monitoring functions beyond the intensive care unit and alert medical professionals to any follow-on medical problems a patient may develop. Hundreds of thousands of lives could be saved as a result,” says Pascal Koenig, Research Director at Soreon. “Two other areas where innovative wearable healthcare products could have major benefits are cardiovascular conditions and obesity.”
To learn more about the report or to order the complete document, click here.
