{"id":28,"date":"2016-01-21T17:56:04","date_gmt":"2016-01-21T17:56:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cusjc.ca\/agingtech\/?page_id=28"},"modified":"2016-04-10T20:35:46","modified_gmt":"2016-04-10T20:35:46","slug":"the-relationship-wearables-and-health","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/agingtech\/chapter-two\/the-relationship-wearables-and-health\/","title":{"rendered":"The Relationship: Wearables and Health"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Each day, before stepping out into the Florida sun, Hugh Judges makes sure he straps\u00a0his Fitbit onto his wrist or slips the step tracking device into his jeans pocket.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Not only do I use it, but I bought one for my lady friend and she uses it too because she’s busy athletically as well,\u201d says\u00a0Judges. Judges is 80 years old. Hailing from Toronto, Judges spends his winters in Florida. He describes himself as being in good health, besides some \u201cheart stuff\u201d that he sees his physician for from time to time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI picked one up and thought, ‘That’s great’. I can now see what I’m up to,\u201d Judges says of his Fitbit. Not only does he use his Fitbit to monitor his daily activity, but he also sets goals. \u201cI like to say if I get out and about, I want to cover at least 10,000 steps a day or more, and I want to burn at least 2,000 calories a day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Judges has been using his Fitbit for three years. The device has become an integral part of his daily routine – so much so, that the 80-year-old would like to integrate more technology into his life. \u201cI’ll tell you what I’m interested in,\u201d Judges says, \u201cI often want to know what my blood pressure is, as a matter of routine.\u201d Currently, Judges drives to the YMCA in his community to check his blood pressure on a machine in the gym. If he doesn\u2019t go to the gym, he has an armband that he uses at home. \u201cBut if you had something in hand, or on your arm, that would give you your blood pressure – well sure – it would be a heck of a lot easier.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

The popular Fitbit might well be the first thing that comes to mind for a lot of people whey they first hear \u201cwearable technology.\u201d The heavily marketed Fitbit bracelet tracks steps and monitors calories. <\/span><\/p>\n

Fitness trackers are undoubtedly the most popular applications of wearable technology. <\/span>According to the 2014 MaRS Market Insights report Wearable Tech: Leveraging Canadian Innovation to Improve Health, <\/i>devices like the Fitbit that are marketed for fitness claim 65 per cent of the wearables market. In comparison, non-consumer applications (devices that simply provide healthcare related information) claim only 35 per cent of the wearables market. <\/span><\/p>\n

Definition<\/h4>\n

Wearable technology is often synonymous with \u201cmobile health applications.\u201d The Canadian Medical Association<\/a> defines mobile health applications as \u201cdistinct from regulated medical devices, may be defined as an application on a mobile device that is intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions, or in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Functions<\/h4>\n

There are numerous functions of different mobile health technologies. For example, they store and track information, provide periodic information and reminders, contain GPS locators or standardized checklists. According to the CMA, mobile health applications can be used to track fitness activities, to support self-management of health and health information, for post-procedure follow up, viewing test results, and the virtualization of interaction between patients and providers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These kinds of technologies can be contained in an app in your smartphone. Or they can be a device that stands alone. According to the Canadian Medical Association, mobile health applications are most commonly used on a smartphone or tablet. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\"An
An example of a user’s Fitbit chart that is accessible by phone or computer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The health news publication iHealthBeat estimates that as of this year, 142 million health apps have been downloaded. A study<\/a> by Pricewaterhouse Coopers states that more than one third of Canadians currently have a mobile health application on a smart device. <\/span><\/p>\n

Fitness has become synonymous with health and many people have become preoccupied with quantifying their health to improve their own wellness management. The Fitbit and similar technologies like the Nike+ Fuelband collect data handsfree. Originally, they were designed for fitness, to be used by athletes and active individuals. But today, these devices help a growing segment of the population track sleep, calories, and steps. This is the most basic and popular application of fitness technologies and health care. <\/span><\/p>\n

And increasingly, the focus of developers is on wearable technology that will promote wellness in seniors. <\/span><\/p>\n

Aging Well<\/h3>\n

AGE-WELL<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>is a national research network funded by the Canadian government. AGE-WELL is an acronym for Aging Gracefully across Environments using Technology to Support Wellness, Engagement and Long Life. AGEWELL is funded through the government body Networks of Centres of Excellence of Canada. The AGE-WELL program launched in March 2015 and will be funded by the NCE program through February 2020.<\/span><\/p>\n

AGE-WELL’s mission is to “accelerate innovation” in the field of technology and aging to improve the quality of senior’s lives and produce \u201ceconomic and social impact\u201d for the benefit of Canadians. Scientists and researchers study the potential of emerging and advanced technologies in such areas as artificial intelligence (AI), e-health, information communication technologies, mobile technologies and policy innovation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we’re trying to do is utilize the potential of modern information and communication technologies to help older people stay independent,\u201d explains\u00a0Dr. Andrew Sixsmith, one of two Scientific Directors of AGE-WELL. Sixsmith is based at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, where he is a Professor and Director of the Gerontechnology Research Centre. \u201cSo our overall aim is really to firstly provide a wider range of services to help older people remain independent, living in their own homes, although we are also interested in people in all areas like long-term care and assisted living,\u201d states\u00a0Sixsmith.<\/span><\/p>\n

As an independent organization, AGE-WELL conducts its own research in the field of technologies for healthy aging. The organization has partnerships among academic, public, private and community sectors.<\/span><\/p>\n

AGE-WELL also looks at the needs of caregivers because they are the ones who provide a great deal of support to seniors, rather than formal services from healthcare providers. \u201cWe have a project which is looking at how we can help caregivers to decide on assisted technology,\u201d explains Sixsmith.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dan Levitt is the Executive Director of <\/span>Tabor Village Society<\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>a group of retirement homes in Vancouver. Levitt is pushing doctors, nurses, and home-care staff in Tabor Village to adopt technology in order to provide better care for patients and residents. \u201cThere is a movement in the industry to really revolutionize the way things are done, to transform and introduce more digital health into the system,\u201d Levitt says. Levitt has introduced digital schedules and encourages the use of smartphones in his retirement homes. He says that it is on his \u201cTO DO\u201d list to incorporate more technology into the lives of residents at Tabor Village. For example, GPS shoes for his residents with Alzheimer’s.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sixsmith says AGE-WELL has a number of projects in the pipeline that should help Levitt fulfill his goals. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>We have a number of projects which are in the area of technology development. Those can range from mobility through to helping people to stay connected.\u201d There are other projects that look to innovation and how AGE-WELL can help developers get their project to market. \u201cOne of the problems that this sector experiences is that there is a lot of research which is being done, but not enough is getting into the marketplace,\u201d says\u00a0Sixsmith. \u201cCan we make products easier to use? Can we remove some of the barriers to usage?\u201d These are all things that AGE-WELL is currently investigating. <\/span><\/p>\n

Andrew Sixsmith describes some of AGE-WELL\u2019s current research on wearable technologies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n