US Representative David Schweikert explained in an interview carried by a February issue of Politico that he expects Congress to redefine the definition of telehealth to include wearables. Schweikert, the Co-chair of the Congressional Telehealth Caucus, further described the future of telehealth to include smartwatches and other wearables. Newer iterations of such devices can monitor vital signs, such as body temperature, sleep cycles, and heart rhythms. He added, “We’re on the cusp of miracle cures.”
When asked by Politico if people would like telehealth to involve more innovation, he responded, “People will love it. Telehealth was one of the most lobbied-against policies on Capitol Hill for years and years. ‘Grandma won’t be able to work FaceTime,’ they’d say. Turns out Grandma knew how to work FaceTime.”
Where Are These Devices?
Telehealth.org’s The Future of Wearable Devices in Healthcare further describes these devices as including blood pressure cuffs; pulse oximeters; heart rate variability devices such as the Oura ring or smartwatches with movement trackers made by Apple or Fitbit; smart home technology, and many others. Although not typically displayed at many behavioral conferences, these devices have developed for decades. Their use will be fueled by congressional decisions to support reimbursement for remote patient monitoring and other digital therapeutics. Once clinicians realize they can be paid for using safe and effective technology, a broader range of such wearables will appear in association conference exhibit halls and Internet-based technology outlets for healthcare.
Now that COVID has proven that technology is more ready to be used than believed by most providers before the pandemic, discussions of the benefits of using such technology are being considered to drive down healthcare costs in decision-making groups such as the Congressional Telehealth Caucus. In the Telehealth.org article, Scoping…