Apple Watch, Fitbit and other health devices make it more likely patient will monitor fitness, follow up with doctors, Mount Sinai survey says

Wearable consumer devices that track heart rate, sleep cycles and other indicators of health make it more likely that patients will monitor their fitness and follow up with their doctors, a new survey found.

The survey, conducted last month by Mount Sinai South Nassau Truth in Medicine, found a majority of those who use wearable health devices were more motivated to make changes to improve their health and see their physician.

Out of 600 adults polled in New York City and on Long Island between Nov. 12 and Nov. 16, 63% said their devices and products made them more likely to visit their physicians about an issue they tracked on their devices.

"To be able to have that access at home ... to be able to understand how to use those data ... those are game changers for people's individual health monitoring," said Dr. Adhi Sharma, president of Mount Sinai South Nassau.

A substantial number of device wearers — 74% — said they shared their information with their doctors and more than 50% had an in-person wellness/annual physical exam in the past year while 37% had a physical within the past two years.

At least 44% of those polled wore health monitoring or wearable fitness devices and 39% used direct-to-consumer health products, such as at-home COVID-19 testing kits.

Of the wearable device users, 53% used an Apple Watch, while 28% used a Fitbit or other step-tracking device and 25% wear a continuous glucose monitor. Just 6% of respondents use the Oura Ring and 5% the Whoop, a screenless wristband.

These devices track metrics like heart rate, sleep, steps, menstrual cycle, exercise and blood oxygen levels, among others, which vary depending on each brand.

Sharma said the technology of wearable health devices has evolved immensely since it was first introduced.

"Even to run on a treadmill if you wanted to track your heart rate, you have to wear a strap across your chest," he said. "Technology was very limited in the early days when these smartwatches came out, really their functionality was how they paired with a telephone."

Some devices, like the Apple Watch Series 4, can take an electrocardiogram, allowing users to record their heart's rhythm and check for signs of atrial fibrillation.

Devices do not eliminate the need for seeking in-person care, which 74% of participants agreed with, Sharma said.

"This doesn't replace that, but at least it gives the patient the opportunity and some autonomy and agency to understand what's going on with them in the moment," he said.

However, the survey found more women were likely to speak about their data from a wearable device than men. They also found Hispanic respondents and men under age 50 were least likely to wear a device.

The survey also found 53% of respondents were more likely to screen for health conditions if they can do it at home.

"That's telling us our opportunity to screen patients is improved if we can get it to them in their house," Sharma said, noting COVID-19 or colon cancer screenings. "What we need is for technology to focus on that type of screening, as opposed to limiting it to brick and mortar locations, and I think we can improve our health care outcomes by improving our screening rates."

The survey is the 23rd Truth in Medicine Poll and was conducted via both landlines and cellphones by independent polling firm LJR Custom Strategies and sponsored by Four Leaf.

Poll findings are subject to a sampling error of plus or minus 3.9%, a statement said.

"We really do want to encourage folks to have long term health care," Sharma said. "There's so much misinformation out there ... the best way to weave through that is with a health care adviser, and that's why we want folks to develop those relationships."