By <https://9to5mac.com/author/michaelpotuck/> Michael Potuck at:
https://9to5mac.com/2021/06/02/apple-watch-users-and-health-care-use/
A new study shares some interesting findings on how
<https://9to5mac.com/guides/apple-watch/> Apple Watch and other wearables
are impacting health care use for those with irregular heart rhythms. In a
study at the University of Utah Health, those with atrial fibrillation and
who used Apple Watch were more likely to receive health care than those
without a wearable. The report also found those with wearables don't bombard
doctors with unnecessary calls.
The <https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2780408>
new study was done by Libo Wang, MD; Kyron Nielsen, MPH; and Joshua
Goldberg, MD (via
<https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/2/22463322/wearables-afib-apple-fitbit-doct
or-visit> The Verge). It included 625 participants with atrial fibrillation
(AF) - 125 who used wearables and 500 who did not.
One of the key questions the study set out to answer was "Do individuals
with known atrial fibrillation (AF) who use smartwatches or wearable devices
use more health care resources and achieve better AF control?"
The results show that those using wearables "had significantly increased
rates of health care use; among use measures, the difference was
significantly increased for ablation procedures."
<https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/atrial-fibrillation/what-is-cardiac-abl
ation> Ablation is a procedure done by making small scars in the heart
tissue to help restore regular heart rhythm, especially when AF hasn't
improved from medication.
<https://amzn.to/2LS5Io4> Apple Watch was the most mentioned wearable in
patients' notes followed by Fitbit and AliveCor's Kardia. Another
interesting finding was the study found no link between using a wearable and
making "excessive" phone calls to doctors.
First, clinicians may be concerned about an excessive number of phone calls
based on readings from a wearable; we found no evidence to suggest that
pattern.
Another takeaway was that "individuals who use wearables may be healthier
than those who do not use wearables." But there are several factors at play
here including those who have a wearable like Apple Watch tend to be younger
and therefore are more likely to be healthier.
In the big picture, the study notes that more random clinical trials are
needed to better understand the relationship between using a wearable and
health care delivery/outcomes in those with AF.
This study's finding suggests that wearable use among patients with AF is
associated with increased health care use and support the need for
randomized clinical trials to measure the impact of wearables on health
outcomes and use among patients with AF.
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