In the last 10 years technology has come a long way. Some British hospitals are using 3D printed hearts to help plan complex surgery on children & young people with heart defects. Virtual Reality headsets are another form of technology being used in healthcare and are able to convert CT and MRI scans into 3D models for surgical staff.
Many of us now also own some type of fitness tracker . They are able to track number of steps walked in a day or the amount of hours you spent sleeping. At one stage I used mine to track the amount of fluid I drank because the steroids I was taking a the time resulted in an almost unquenchable thirst. Everywhere I went I would take a minimum of 1 litre of water with me.
'Apple' is one of the biggest retail names in the world. Late 2018 they launched the Apple Watch Series 4. It's biggest claim was that it incorporated a medically approved ECG monitor capable of detecting abnormal and potentially dangerous heart rhythms. However, the significant element here is that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has approved the technology. This is a first in the world of wearable devices.
The new watch was released for sale in the UK back in March 2019 . I find this very exciting. I have ongoing problems with abnormal heart rhythms. Whilst I'm quite good at detecting changes in my symptoms/ body this technology would not only enable me to evidence any problems but receive confirmation from my cardiac teams. It may be the difference between an emergency admission and home monitoring. I email my electrophysiology team (in London) and provide copies of the ECG tracing. They could then contact me stating either to continue motoring or self-admit to my local hospital.
This technology is not compatible with android devices. I have included. link about the recent Apple Heart Study.
Whilst not everybody's convinced by the reliability of this type of technology I believe there is a place for it.
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a26855880/apple-watch-4-heart-study/