We live in an increasingly technological and computerised world where the amount of data generated is growing exponentially.
‘Big data’, that huge amount of data and information, has been growing in line with the power of the tools that make it possible to manage and process it. Or to put it in layman terms: it’s not possible to quantify many aspects of our day-to-day lives.
That is how the term ‘Quantified Self’, coined by Gary Wolf and Kevin Kelly in 2007, came into being.
From tracking dreams to calorie consumption and heart rate monitoring, many companies have got behind this topic in recent years.
However clever technology can be in extracting data from the body, it serves no purpose if consumers are not prepared to wear the necessary sensors / devices in the first place. It’s important to address wearable design and development to give you the best possible chance of it being adopted by consumers.
HEALTHIO 2018 will feature various wearable-related companies including Zinc and iBreve and we will shortly confirm some more due to engage in the 2018 event. If you work with a wearables firm you can’t afford to miss this chance for patients, health providers, and innovators to co-create together on matters like prevention programmes, where your wearable can play a distinguished role.
“How to Design Healthcare Devices that Consumers Love”
On 11 April at IdTechEx in Berlin we had the chance to hear Graham Rittener, co-founder of Zinc, a design and innovation lab based out of Barcelona and London, discuss the four key points in designing devices that people want to use: push the envelope beyond expectations, obtain the right technology / product, integrate health services, and design a useful app.
Apps can make devices come alive if they are designed properly and deliver something more than just data viewing. The iBreve wearable helps you improve stress resilience. The device provides you with real-time biofeedback on breathing patterns, activity and stress levels, learn about them and improve your general wellbeing.
Other wearable examples:
One example of pushing the envelope beyond expectations and understanding what people need is Bloomlife, the world’s first and only wearable for pregnancy. Each pregnancy is different and Bloomlife tracks third-trimester contractions and helps you understand their pattern.
Your heart beats around 100,000 times a day. WIWE is a portable electrocardiogram (ECG) the size of a credit card that provides quality clinical results in 1 minute. It can also measure oxygen levels in the blood and estimate the wearer’s risk of arrhythmias, stroke and sudden cardiac arrest.
CliniCloud is a really simple, digital and portable stethoscope that can be hooked up to a phone app to let doctors and patients record lung sounds and heart rhythms. An infrared thermometer can also measure body temperature with no need for skin contact. Will CliniCloud change our idea of auscultation?
Take part in HEALTHIO 2018:
If you would like to take part in HEALTHIO 2018 please contact us and propose your model of engagement. And if you are a patient – come along and find out how to take back the power for your health!
We look forward to seeing you at HEALTHIO 2018 at Fira de Barcelona from 16 to 18 October.
Dr. Jordi Serrano Pons
Co-founder, HEALTHIO
Healthio Blog 