A smartwatch or wearable fitness tracker can help you take control of your health by providing valuable insights, but is all that data useful to your physician? Maybe — to a point. Kevin Moore, MD, family medicine physician at CHI Saint Joseph Medical Group – Primary Care in Bardstown, says the information you glean from a wearable device may draw your provider’s attention to something worth investigating, especially if it concerns you. However, traditional, evidence-based data is necessary for a proper diagnosis.
“A smartwatch that tracks your pulse and may occasionally show something unusual can create a conversation and start a workup,” Dr. Moore said. “I think these devices are useful. Like many physicians, I’m still determining how to incorporate the information these devices provide because their use has grown so rapidly, but I think they can help us move patients toward healthiness.”
A version of this article originally appeared in the Fall 2021 print edition of Spirit of Health.
Epilepsy, a brain disorder that causes seizures, affects around 3.5 million children and adults in the United States. The common condition may not look like what you imagine.
Read More Additional information about The Facts About Epilepsy
Specialists at CHI Saint Joseph Medical Group – Neurology evaluate patients for cognitive decline and look for signs that memory issues could be symptoms of another problem.
Read More Additional information about Expert Care for Aging Brains
Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens the bones, making them fragile and causing them to break easily. Learn more about the disease, including how it's diagnosed, what treatment options are available and who's at most risk.
Read More Additional information about The Surprising Facts about Osteoporosis and Who's at Most Risk
Fill out the form below to receive monthly health news and information to your inbox.
Spirit of Health magazine's print edition is distributed quarterly and focuses on topics related to our CHI Saint Joseph Health purpose and values.
