UniSA researchers find that wearable tech can detect disease

A University of South Australia study revealed that wearable activity trackers such as Fitbit, Apple Watch and Oura ring show promise in detecting early signals of disease – particularly atrial fibrillation which is associated with stroke and COVID-19.

UniSA researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 28 studies with 1.2 million participants, assessing the reliability and accuracy of consumer-grade wearable activity trackers to detect and monitor a wide range of medical conditions and events.

The study found that wearable technology correctly identified:

• COVID-19 status (positive or negative) in 88 out of 100 people, similar to rapid screening tests
• Atrial fibrillation in 87 out of 100 people, akin to tests undertaken by doctors
• Falls in 82 of 100 people.

Originally designed to track fitness and exercise performance, wearable technology has advanced beyond activity metrics, and is now able to deliver accurate and timely measures of blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen levels, sleep quality, skin temperature, hydration, stress levels and more.

Lead researcher, UniSA’s Dr Ben Singh, says that wearable activity trackers could revolutionise the detection of medical conditions and disease.

“As healthcare budgets continue to soar, the need for cost-effective interventions that reduce healthcare costs and improve patient outcomes has never been more urgent,” Dr Singh says.

“Our systematic review shows that wearable activity trackers like Fitbits and Apple Watches have significant promise in detecting COVID-19 and heart conditions in real-world settings, which has the potential to improve personal health monitoring.

“Wearable trackers not only empower people to proactively manage their health, but they enable them to detect health issues in real-time. This means that they can respond to any concern quickly, and hopefully avoid any serious health issues.”

Co-researcher UniSA’s Professor Carol Maher says that with these findings, wearable trackers could one-day be used in clinical practice.

“The beauty of wearable activity trackers is that they provide an easy and convenient way for people to monitor real-time aspects of their health and wellbeing; but their full potential is yet to be realised,” Prof Maher says.

“Through this study we know that wearable trackers are providing some excellent health data. If they encompassed a greater number of health conditions and demonstrated greater results across diverse populations, they could be considered for clinical practice. The possible impact this could have on society is huge.”