Best 3 Healthcare and Medical Wearables for a Healthy Lifestyle

 In this day and age, if physicians or other health-care professionals are not incorporating smart phones or other health-gadgets into their practices, they are missing out on the trend in modern medicine. These accessories make medicine more understandable to our patients and also likely more compliant with their treatment regimen.  In a society where the life expectancy has decreased for the first time in over two decades in the United States, it is paramount that physicians understand the trend in society and utilize gadgets and accessories that will better resonate with the population of today.  Here are the top 3 Healthcare and Medical Wearables that promote a healthy lifestyle.  

Number 1:  Polar Smartwatches

This watch is definitely not your basic step-counter.  As a personal user myself, I can attest that this is one of the greatest purchases I have ever made and worth every penny.  This watch is amazing and is able to provide a comprehensive breakdown of not only your steps and caloric consumption, but also can track your average pace on jogs, bike trips, and even laps in the swimming pool. It is waterproof and resistant to damage even in contact sports.  A user is able to input up to 10 sports profiles that can be interchanged at any point during charging.  On the Polar M400 Watch that I use, a user is able to preset useful parameters that can motivate them to push harder or work-out longer.  Distance traveled, average speed, fastest speed, and splits are just a few of the many parameters that the user can monitor during the exercises.  The watch also has an “Activity Goal” that is generated based on a user’s individual goals and level of activity and an alarm will sound if a user is sedentary for more than 2 hours at a time.   This encourages users to be more active and reminds them that even a simple stroll around the office during the business day can lead to weight loss and improved health if it becomes habituated into their daily routine.

This watch is one of many that Polar offers on their product line and there is an affordable version for all users.  A basic model can be purchases from most retail outlets for around $60 with the most advanced around $600 available only in specialty stores.  With the purchase, a user is able to download a computer application that syncs all the previous work-outs to monitor activity patterns and allows users to interact in an online community to recommend exercise programs. This is not only a valuable feature for the user but also physicians or trainers to ensure that patients are compliant with exercise regimens that are established to help them lose weight.   A user can also download a personal training program free of charge that can help with complex training for marathons, triathlons, and death races.  

READ The Most Recommended Medical Apps For Medical Students

The only negative thing about this device is that the heart rate belt is sold separately.   Although a user can exercise without this additional purchase, the monitor will provide a much more precise indication of calorie consumption and activity.  I have run into some problems myself during weight lifting or cardio exercises at the gym where I am stationary so the device does not consider that activity.  It is a very successful motivating factor to get a user to achieve the Activity Goal each day but it does need a few adjustments to be perfect.  

The Project-Zero Omron Wristband & The ReSound LiNX2

Number 2:  Zero Omron Wristband

A product newly introduced to the market space in 2016, Omron has addressed a need that is ever-present worldwide, monitoring hypertension.   According to the CDC, 29% of Americans suffer from high blood pressure with an expected increase in trend as the level of obesity in the population increases.  Omron provides an interesting solution to monitoring blood pressure.  Omron records blood pressure measurements consistently throughout the day allowing physicians to have data points to monitor blood pressure fluctuations.    What is appealing about this device is that users are able to sync it with their smart phones and their computers to generate a database of their measurements.  Multiple products in this line are equipped with sensors that create alarms when a patient is not found to be in an adequate range of blood pressure values.  This can remind patients to take their next B-blocker/ACEi combo to make it easier to regulate their pressures and also help the doctor see if levels fluctuate too drastically in the mornings or evenings to adjust the medication dosages.  

Unfortunately, this device also has some drawbacks.  Even though it is touted as the Number 1 Blood Pressure Monitoring Device in the United States, Omron products have a similar issue that most other home blood pressure monitors have.  The user must position their arm at heart-level in order to ensure that the blood pressure is accurate.  The sensors embedded in the device attempt to alleviate this shortfall by indicating  when the device is in the appropriate location. This is a useful feature and makes the learning curve quite rapid as a new user is introduced to the new product.  

Number 3:  The ReSound LiNX2

This is a useful gadget recently released on the market.  The ReSound LiNX2 hearing aid is a smart hearing aid that can be adjusted via iPhones or Androids and allow users to adjust their hearing aid volume based on their environment remotely.  With one simple swipe of the volume controller, a user can go from a noisy restaurant to a intimate conversation with their loved ones at a park and not miss a syllable. This is a more refined version than other similar products on the market and allows users to have a more discrete way of adjusting their hearing aids in public.  This product has been well-received in its early introduction of the product and has scored a strong 4.4/5.

READ Knock, Knock. Who’s There? Concussion Assessment Android Apps Review

Some users point out some faults with the product such as out-of-tune hearing frequencies or humming noises that can irritate anyone.  Although these shortcomings are unfortunate, it is expected with any new product released on the market to have some aspects that need fine-tuning.   ReSound represents were quick to respond to any complaints about the product and offer assistance to any unsatisfied customers.  That is a positive sign with any new product and bodes well for the future of the product as minor problems are addressed and the product is improved.