Heart Health: Life Saving Benefits of Wearable Technologies

Wearable health technologies with heart monitoring capabilities have rapidly evolved from simple fitness trackers to sophisticated devices capable of detecting potentially dangerous cardiac arrhythmias and other cardiovascular abnormalities. Several studies have documented cases where smartwatch alerts led to timely medical interventions for conditions like atrial fibrillation, raising questions about their role in clinical care pathways. As these devices become increasingly prevalent among consumers, healthcare professionals face important questions about their diagnostic accuracy, appropriate clinical integration, and potential for both benefit and harm through false positives or negatives.

This SciPoll gathers perspectives from cardiologists and other medical professionals regarding the evidence supporting the life-saving potential of wearable cardiac monitoring technologies, helping to inform clinical recommendations, reimbursement policies, and future research priorities in this rapidly evolving intersection of consumer technology and medical care.