An increasing number of individuals are investing in wearable devices, yet the actual advantage continues to diminish, according to a study.
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In recent years, the ownership of wearables among Americans has significantly increased, yet less than 20% share their health data with their healthcare providers.
Smartwatches and fitness trackers have become ubiquitous, with more Americans purchasing them than ever before. However, a recent study indicates that merely owning a wearable device does not guarantee that users gain significant health benefits from it.
Researchers from Yale School of Medicine examined data from 17,395 participants over three national surveys conducted in 2020, 2022, and 2024. Their findings reveal a more complex situation than the wearable market may prefer to acknowledge.
What the data reveals
Wearable device usage among adults in the U.S. rose from 30.2% in 2020 to 41.1% in 2024. However, other related metrics either remained unchanged or worsened. About half of wearable users reported wearing their devices daily, a figure that has not improved over the years.
The statistics regarding data sharing are even more alarming. The percentage of individuals willing to share their wearable health data with doctors fell from 81.3% in 2020 to 73.4% in 2024. Actual data sharing with healthcare professionals barely increased, from 14.2% in 2020 to just 19.2% in 2024. This indicates that under 20% of those who own wearables are sharing their health information with the medical professionals who could utilize it for insights.
Reasons for the widening gap
The study revealed that improved digital literacy made individuals more inclined to share their data, but this willingness did not convert into actual data sharing. The researchers identified the healthcare system itself as the primary obstacle.
Most doctors’ systems are not equipped to receive data from wearable devices. Many medical records cannot interface with consumer technology, and there is no standardized method for clinicians to routinely assess information tracked by devices like Apple Watches or Fitbits.
The researchers concluded that merely increasing the number of wearable users will not bridge this gap. It is essential for the healthcare system to establish the infrastructure needed to effectively utilize the data collected by individuals.
Manisha Priyadarshini is a technology and entertainment writer with more than nine years of editorial experience.
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An increasing number of individuals are investing in wearable devices, yet the actual advantage continues to diminish, according to a study.
A greater number of Americans are owning wearables than before, yet a new study from Yale indicates that fewer than 20% actually share their health data with their physician.