The state of wearable health technologies: a transdisciplinary literature review

Abstract

This review evaluated transdisciplinary empirical research on wearable health technologies using the input-mechanism-output model and addressed a major concern relating to the invasiveness of wearables. The dataset consisted of 250 published papers that investigated wearables for health-related purposes. Papers focused on technological inputs and health output factors, de-emphasizing theoretical mechanisms that could effectively translate the former into the latter. The lack of transdisciplinary research in the field is limiting both identification of effectiveness and evidence of beneficial health outcomes, with a considerable divide between technologists and public health researchers. Privacy concerns relate to increasing trends in collecting data for mental health and physical health, with the latter escalating exponentially. Invasiveness of wearables has increased over time in terms of collected signals and the derived health information, monitoring both users and their social and physical environments. We conclude with reflections for conceptual development, commercial application and policy regulation.

Where horizontal and vertical surveillances meet: Sense-making of US COVID-19 contact-tracing apps during a health crisis

“…At an individual level, surveillance technologies have provided people with self-tracking capabilities regarding their health and wellbeing. With the growing wearable industry and the increased use of Big Data analytics ( Li et al, 2021 ), myriads of mobile applications have enabled people to track health information about themselves ranging from dietary habits to sleep patterns. Self-monitoring activities are at times critiqued to be too reliant on the quantification of bodies, likely resulting in loss of “social and environmental complexity” and reinforcement of “normative and normalizing ideals” about wellness ( Sharon & Zandbergen, 2017 , p. 1697).…”

Wearable activity trackers for promoting physical activity: A systematic meta-analytic review

“…Despite the increasing popularity of WATs (e.g., Fitbit, Mi Band, Apple Watch, Garmin) in the consumer market, formal adoption in public health practice is scarce [7]. One exception was a national public health project carried out by Fitbit and Singapore's Health Promotion Board in 2019.…”

Wearable witnesses: Deathlogging and framing wearable technology data in “Fitbit murders”

“…While some researchers have explored augmented reality crime tracking (Liao et al, 2020) and the relationships between mobile communication and perceived security (Ellcessor, 2022; Reichow & Friemel, 2020), communication and media scholarship has not focused on the increasing use of digital devices in criminal trials and associated commentary in news reports. As recently as 2020, a transdisciplinary review of research on wearable health technologies did not indicate research strands on crime, criminal investigations, or death (Li et al, 2021). This study, then, opens further research directions around the uses of wearables in criminal investigation, further developing the concept of deathlogging toward an understanding of how various institutions expect wearables-generated data to have the authoritative capacity to serve as witnesses.…”