Assessment of Smart Watches for Management of Non-Communicable Diseases in the Ageing Population: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Advancement in wearable technologies is providing promising new ways to monitor and improve patient care to the ageing population. With the global demographic transition of developed countries to an ageing population, implementation of these technologies could benefit patients and clinicians. This systematic review assesses experimental studies performed utilizing these technologies. A systematic review of peer-reviewed literature was performed on the application of wearable technologies in the patients 60 years old or greater or what is considered ageing population. Search results were reviewed and synthesized to attempt to ascertain its possible clinical application and impact. A total of 422 papers were identified for review. Eight papers were relevant to the ageing population. The majority of papers identified were experimental studies. This was because the technology is still new to the field of medicine. The studies were performed in North America, United Kingdom, Germany and Indonesia. All showed promise that wearable technologies can benefit the management of non-communicable diseases in the ageing population. Current studies focus on the experimental nature of wearable technology. Further clinical trials are needed to assess the benefit in the management of ageing populations in the clinical setting.

Characteristics and Range of Reviews About Technologies for Aging in Place: Scoping Review of Reviews

“…The second type of problem is issues related to the management of health-related issues or diseases in the context of aging in place (n=128 reviews). Of those, most dealt with problems related to cognitive impairments either exclusively (n=61) or in combination with one or several other health problems (n=10), that is, cognitive impairment and mental health [ 151 - 155 ], or cognitive impairment, stroke, cardiovascular disease, and falls [ 156 ]. Other problems that were featured relatively frequently included falls and balance–related issues (n=19), frailty (n=8), chronic conditions (n=8), and depression (n=5).…”

A Study on Technology Acceptance of Digital Healthcare among Older Korean Adults Using Extended Tam (Extended Technology Acceptance Model)

“…Wrist-worn wearable technologies such as health smartwatches are designed to help the elderly to age successfully by monitoring their health and fitness-related data such as heart rate, blood pressure, and fall detection. Moreover, digital healthcare wearables have been utilized to alert patients to take their medications at the correct time and as an application for detection of neurological disorders and early symptoms in Parkinson's Disease in elderly patients (Lazaro et al 2020;Gordon 2018). Sine the potential application of wearable technology is increasing, it is important to evaluate the acceptance of these technologies among Korean older adults as well as their behavioral intention to use these wearable devices.…”

Sensing Physiological Change and Mental Stress in Older Adults From Hot Weather

“…Despite rising interest and potential benefits of on-person sensors, their use has mostly been limited to research. In a review of 422 scientific articles on the use of wearable technology in patients aged 60 and above, Gordon [8] found that most were experimental in nature. To remedy the situation, he called for formal and randomized clinical trials.…”