wearable

Wearable technology is the perpetual evolution of new digital devices utilized as individual fitness and wellness trackers to observing a patient’s health conditions in real-time and automatically transferring the data to a remote health informatics framework. The level of innovation with wearable technologies within the medical internet of things has the immense potential for more proficient and effective management of chronic diseases and public health concerns such as heart disease and diabetes. Wearable devices engage patients to have an active role in their overall well-being and treatments. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of wearable technology design and functionality, patient care, informatics nurse leader, and address the advantages and disadvantages.Design and CharacteristicsWearable technologies major component states (Aroganam, Manivannan, Harrison, 2019) is a microcontroller also known as a mini-computer or a system on a chip allowing the internet of things to be enabled and minimizes the number of electronic modules required to perform different functions on one chip. In addition to microcontrollers, several essentials for wearables to function is the interface, integrated circuits, communication, data storage, and energy management. The interface is a channel to transfer data between the devices remotely. The data is collected via integrated circuits such as sensors, global positioning systems, and receivers. Communication controls connectivity transferring information by wireless systems, Bluetooth technology, and radio frequencies. Data storage utilizes the cloud where large amounts of health-related individual measurements are stored and is a source for data sharing. Another essential function is energy management, which is the battery life used to power the device. Unlike other mobile devices, wearables are required to be continuously on and linked with monitoring devices, which may result in short battery life. Wearable technology is known to operate a lot of the same computing tasks as a laptop and mobile phone.The Internet of Things is a network of connected devices which are significant according to (Wilson) because “an object which can represent itself digitally becomes something greater than the object itself.” Wearables are an excellent example of the Internet of Things with “things” being software, sensors, electronics, and connectivity as producers permitting devices to exchange information/data via the internet under the manufacturer’s design.Range of functionality Wearables are available in many forms, such as smart wristbands, watches, shirts, shoes, hats, headbands, eyeglasses, and necklaces. Several devices such as on-wrist activity trackers (Fitbit) and mobile phone applications have been created for consumers. Other devices are designed for healthcare professionals to monitor a patient’s daily physical activities and behaviors, in addition to physiological and biological limits. These devices are capable of capturing data such as heart rate, heart rhythms, blood pressure, gait abnormalities, body temperature, number of calories burned, blood oxygen saturation, and detect abnormal sleep patterns. The sensors within each wearable device allow the devices to be networked together, capture raw data and transfer it to an analytical database or software application as well as send data via the internet to care, providers, caregivers, and family members. Typically, this process creates a reaction. For example, a physician is alerted to contact a patient who is experiencing abnormal symptoms, or a celebratory text message is sent when an individual achieves a diet or fitness goal.Nursing practice and patient careTechnological advances have led to the utilization of wearable patient-monitoring devices in a wide range of healthcare settings. Wearable devices can identify a panorama of vital patient information such as cardiac and respiratory rates, rehabilitation progress, exercise physiology, glucose levels, neurologic, and gait disturbances. Such types of frequent or continuous monitoring is a noninvasive technique which leads to increase patient satisfaction and mobility. Besides sensing capabilities, wearable technology also has diagnostic applications assisting nurses and healthcare providers in creating patient care plans and treatments.Wearable technology can provide time-saving and accuracy benefits to nurses like the ability to use voice commands and be alerted about emerging patient needs and emergencies, prevent medical errors, prevent or minimize potential adverse events, improve communication with the rest of the medical team faster and more accurately, keep meticulous records and effectively monitor the patient’s environment. In cases where a nurse is required to perform a procedure, wearable devices can prompt them of the precise steps to take and possible risks through links to videos or texts shared by nursing colleagues. Wearables have the capability to assist nurses’ multi-task with less stress and better results.Nurses interacting with patients who take advantage of these technologies can promote self-management skills, encourage healthier lifestyles, and assist with monitoring schedules regularly. Wearable technology is not merely used to collect patient data by healthcare professionals; the objective is to enable each patient to screen their health progress and take on a more active role in their treatment.Nursing Leader Informatics nurses, according to (Bove, 2019) are “concerned with the creation, structure, storage, delivery, exchange, interoperability, and reuse of nursing and clinical information along the continuum of care.” They have a fundamental comprehension of the available types of data from wearable tracking devices and can appreciate the value patients see in the data. In addition, they are familiar with the precision, consistency, and legitimacy of data and the ability to evaluate its potential value in the electronic medical records.The nurse leader educated in the management of information frameworks is seen to be digitally astute in various types of innovation and continues to stay well-educated on the evolution of these technologies, evaluate for new frameworks to be received in their particular setting, and be an advocate on their introduction and implementation by encouraging and training the staff to embrace the new technologies. Nurses with an MSN or DNP in nursing informatics function as a liaison between the technical and clinical aspects of a project or a problem to improve processes, support workflow, clinical decision making, and health outcomes as well as reduce errors, expenses, and patient care delays. Take one example; a nurse informaticist may be approached to analyze data to identify potential sources of patient hospital readmissions and afterward work with the IT department to create technical procedures which would flag specific factors to health care providers assisting them to manage possible issues before they result in an additional visit to the hospital.Advantages and DisadvantagesWearable technology offers a number of advantages from engaging individuals to become more involved in their overall health along with educating them on how behaviors such as nutrition, exercise, and sleep habits have effects on their health in real-time (Bove, 2019). For those patients who are homebound or reside in remote areas, medical services are now easily accessible. These patients can transmit their personal information, data, and measurements to healthcare providers to review, diagnosis, and create a treatment plan without traveling to a medical center.An additional advantage of healthcare wearables when utilized as a tool in the clinical decision-making process is to gain knowledge from multiple medical resources and drug reference databases for disease diagnosis and to develop and implement appropriate treatment plans. Allowing nurses and physicians to have immediate access to patient information, improves productivity which in turn provides more time with patients improving quality care. Improved efficiency for greater quality of patient documentation, reduced medical errors, rapid access to medical information, increased workflow, and, most importantly, improved patient care.The advancement of wearables offers incredible advantages; however, for some, they represent a complex mixture of challenges. Wearables tend to have a reasonably short battery life requiring the user to remove the device for charging regularly. On occasion, a few wearables have been reported to mismeasure data, which can be specifically risky when measuring heart rates. Another matter of considerable concern comments (Wu, Min, Luo, Jake, 2019) is ensuring patient confidentiality and data security meet HIPAA guidelines when transmitting over the network. With large data sets being churned out, there is more concern about data abuse as well as increasing public disclosure of personal information. ConclusionWearable technology advancement has continued to increase over the decade, with a significant role in the progression of healthcare. These smart devices and applications were not only designed to assist individuals/consumers with a healthier lifestyle by monitoring diet and heart rates but also provided new possibilities for healthcare professionals to improve the quality of patient care. Wearables open up a new healthcare delivery model allowing providers and patients to connect regardless of their locations. Access to continuous data collection from various sources, clinical and behavioral, provides greater visibility into a patient’s health status, which in turn allows for healthcare providers to make accurate decisions on a treatment plan. The experience utilizing wearable measurements will alter clinical practice with the engagement of patients in self-care and clinical decision making.