Wearable technology is a booming industry, with an estimated value of $100 billion. But with all the data streaming in from our wrists and fingers, it can be overwhelming to make sense of it all. That's where doctors come in. Patients can ask their doctors for help decoding their health data from wearable devices, and it's a good starting point for any conversation with a healthcare provider. Data with context is key. Dr. Lucy McBride, a physician in Washington, D.C., and author of Beyond the Prescription, says it's not helpful to arrive at an appointment with weeks of raw data and no context. Instead, she advises reporting patterns, not just single data points. For example, a week of disrupted sleep after a major life stressor tells a story, while one bad day does not. Data without context is just noise. When patients bring in wearable data, it can help healthcare providers see beyond how a patient is presenting during an office visit, says Dr. Sarah Benish, a neurologist with M Health Fairview in Minnesota. Benish is the author of new informal guidance from the American Academy of Neurology on wearables. Wearable data can help predict when a migraine flare may be coming, which gives patients a window to intervene and take their medicine before symptoms spiral. It can also help flag serious conditions, such as cardiac arrhythmia, which can increase the risk of having a serious medical incident. One of the most impressive things a wearable can do is detect a cardiac arrhythmia, which can be a sign of an underlying heart condition that puts people at risk for having a stroke. In one case, an Apple Watch flagged a dangerously low heart rate during sleep, leading to a cardiologist appointment and ultimately a pacemaker. To get the most out of wearable data, it's important to know how your device works. When a new software update rolls out, it may influence or alter how the device tracks or displays data, so keep on top of the technology. Keep in mind that your doctor may not be familiar with your particular wearable, so it may take some time for both of you to analyze the data. Ask questions. Just as your doctor will want to hear the context of your life and gather more lifestyle information, you're part of the back and forth, too. This includes asking them about things you don't understand or need more information about. Finding the sweet spot between helpful information and data overload can be tricky. Some people love knowing all the numbers, but for others, the data can be overwhelming and cause anxiety. If you think you fall into this camp, back off how much data you're taking in and have a conversation with your healthcare provider. Don't let your data override your story. Not everything that's important to our health is measurable by wearable technology. The most important health data still lives in your biography, your story, your stress, your relationship with food, alcohol, and your mother. Wearable technology over-indexes on data that is measurable, when actually health is informed largely by data that we cannot measure in any device. Your numbers matter, but so does your story. Bring both to your next appointment.
