Navigating Wearable Devices in Healthcare: Transitioning from Consumer Tech to Research-Grade Tools

Olli Tikkanen
2 min readMar 8, 2024

The Evolving Landscape of Wearable Health Technology

In this article, we explore the dynamic world of wearable devices in healthcare, focusing on transitioning from consumer gadgets to sophisticated research-grade tools.

Consumer Wearables: The First Step

Consumer wearables, like smartwatches and fitness bands, have popularized the concept of health monitoring. They offer a range of features, from tracking steps and heart rate to monitoring sleep patterns. However, these devices often adopt a 'black box' approach to data analysis, where the algorithms and data processing methods are not transparent. This raises concerns about the accuracy and reliability of the data for clinical and research purposes.

"Consumer Wearables come with a caveat—'black box' data analysis questions the accuracy and reliability for clinical use."

The Emergence of Research-Grade Wearable Devices

Addressing these concerns, the healthcare industry is witnessing a surge in research-grade wearable devices. These devices are designed with a focus on providing accurate, standardized, and normalized data. Unlike consumer wearables, research-grade devices offer a higher level of precision and are often validated against clinical standards.

"Research-grade wearables provide reliable and validated data."

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This article is a shortened version of the original article published in our Knowledge Base. Continue reading the rest of the article here.

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Olli Tikkanen

Dr Tikkanen holds a PhD degree in Sport Sciences. He is host of Physical Activity Researcher Podcast and Founder and CEO of Fibion Inc (https://web.fibion.com/)