The report is hardly the first to question the ultimate usefulness of wearables in the practice of medicine, or to raise issues of physician participation and payment hurdles.
Forrester cited huge data gaps, a doubtful reimbursement landscape and numerous other factors that hinder their usefulness today. “Looking at the big picture, consumer data is a proverbial knife in a gun fight today,” the report observed.
Along with the fact they are designed more with consumers in mind, it appears based on the dozens of interviews Forrest conducted that physicians are highly skeptical of such devices and the information they provide.
“I didn’t get into healthcare to look at data. My passion is helping people,” one physician in the Midwest told Forrester researchers. Other doctors expressed concern that the data they receive from wearables is not accurate. “I need to be able to trust the accuracy of the data. Companies would need to publish large studies documenting the accuracy of wearables across populations,” said another physician who practices in Northern California.
Ron Shinkman | HEALTHCARE DIVE
Image Credit: Apple
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