NHS England is pioneering some revolutionary smartwatch technology. Thousands of Parkinson’s patients will be sent smartwatches to track and monitor their symptoms at home. This will give them more freedom and comfort without constant hospital trips.Â
The medical industry is constantly breaking barriers, especially regarding innovative smartwatch tech. From fertility to Parkinson’s disease, on-wrist solutions are popping up every day.
Keep on reading to learn more about this incredible tech and how it can help patients with Parkinson’s disease.
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How Can The Smartwatch Help?
The smartwatches, or Kinetigraphs, being distributed by the NHS are set to change patients’ lives across the country. But, what do they do?
According to The Guardian, these new smartwatches will contain monitors and sensors that measure the patient’s activity. They will also contain alerts and buzz when it’s time for the patient to take their medicine. This is revolutionary software that will help maintain and monitor the progression of the disease.
The data recorded on the smartwatches are sent to labs and doctors, allowing them to access real-time information on how the disease acts in different patients. Key areas the watch is monitoring include immobility, excessive movement, tremors, sleep disturbances, etc. This will inform and generate new treatments and physiotherapy practices.
The NHS has reported that 120,00 patients will benefit from this watch. Great news for Parkinson’s sufferers in the UK!
What Is Parkinson’s Disease?
Parkinson’s disease is a condition that causes tremors, stiffness, and slow movements. This progressive nervous system disorder worsens over time and leaves patients trapped and unable to move. Parkinson’s patients lose nerve cells in their brain, causing the difficult symptoms.
Scientists aren’t yet sure why this condition occurs. However, with smartwatch technology like this, doctors and researchers will be able to study the condition in more depth. Hopefully, this will lead to groundbreaking therapies and management techniques.
Can Smartwatches Help Medical Conditions?
Smartwatches are very helpful for illnesses and medical conditions, but it takes time for these gadgets to be released to the mass market. For example, these specialized Parkinson’s smartwatches won’t be available to the general public for years, plus they’re only currently available in England.
Though you can’t buy specialized medical watches, many watches offer a range of health trackers. Some also provide medical emergancy responses. These features help users out with fall detection and SOS calls, and some can even recognize seizures.
We’re also seeing leading smartwatch brands conducting studies to improve their health tech. For example, Apple has partnered with Standford Medicine to enhance its health monitoring tools. This biometric focus implies that the future of medicine is in on-wrist technology – an exciting thought! Explore the Apple study in-depth here.
The Bottom Line
We love hearing about smartwatches and how they’re helping the medical industry. Parkinson’s disease is a complex condition to study, so the NHS smartwatches are an exciting development in the treatment and research. Keep your eyes peeled for more smartwatch updates. You never know what studies are taking place right now!
Explore the latest smartwatch news and releases here.
Last Updated on May 3, 2022
Isobel is a freelance copy and content writer who regularly contributes to Superwatches. Well-versed in all the ins and outs of the smartwatch industry. Isobel specializes in Fashion and design and is a First Class fashion design graduate.
Currently lives in Bournemouth, United Kingdom.