Is Apple Watch for medical professionals worth buying?

Is Apple Watch for medical professionals worth buying? Nurses to ensure better patient safety while administering medication. And patients to stay informed and engaged in their own care by communicating with their medical teams during hospital stays. Clinicians to access health records and data right when they need them. Apple watches transform the way doctors and nurses work with their patients. Which Apple Watch is good for medical professionals?

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Pros & Cons – Apple Watch for medical professionals

Pros

Nurses use watches as a part of their everyday practice for many reasons, ranging from taking pulses to setting reminders to check on patients or administer medications.

You can time your pulse-taking, dictate notes and connect with others, all while providing patient care and largely hands-free.

Additionally, many rely on the functions of their cell phones to look up important information, communicate with team members and log information to chart later on.

All of that and more can be accomplished with just the Apple Watch.

The current Series 3 watch has cellular, Wi-Fi and GPS connectivity, has an enormous face compared to traditional watches and offers language, dictation and Siri support in dozens of languages.

The Series 4 Apple Watch, which analysts estimate will be released in Fall 2018 is expected to include an always-on Siri function so you can summon assistance, launch apps or make calls without pushing buttons or even touching your watch.

That means nurses won’t have to interrupt precious patient time to accomplish any of those functions, so they can provide more effective and efficient care and work towards more positive overall outcomes.

Cons

One of the most significant is that the Apple Watch is iPhone dependent
This is much smaller screen space and a limitation in the buttons and gestures you can make.

Features – Apple Watch for medical professionals

Apple Watch applications list:

Patient communication apps
Medical news updates and education
Medication and medical reminders
Medical alerts
Calendar event reminders
Vital values
Electronic health records
Medical timers
Gestational age, dosage, and numbered calculators
Note-taking
Password management

Apple Watch Health Features Include

Fall detection
Menstrual cycle tracking
Heart rate monitoring
ECG monitoring for detecting atrial fibrillation (AFib)
Noise detection for assessing the surrounding sound levels

Apple Watch Fitness Features Include

Activity rings
Exercise app
Exercise trends
Workout history
Activity sharing
Fitness awards

Apple Watch for medical professionals review

Case Material

Apple Watches case material comprises one of several textiles. As a result, each material offers its own benefits for those with specific needs and tastes. For instance, the aluminum finish is extremely lightweight and great for those who exercise.

Apple Watch Case Materials

Aluminum
Stainless Steel
Titanium
Ceramic
Gold

Apple Watch Colors Include

Space Gray Aluminum
Silver Aluminum
Blue Aluminum
Gold Aluminum / Rose Gold Aluminum
Gold Stainless Steel
Stainless Steel
Titanium

Display Size

Over time the Apple Watches display size has changed. It started with two sizes, which include 38mm and 42mm. However, newer models offer display sizes that include 40mm and 44mm. This was done while barely impact the watch’s overall size. And as technology continues to advance, the display size may continue to change and adapt to users’ tastes.

Patient care

Healthcare organizations can use off-the-shelf apps or use CareKit to make apps that empower patients to manage their health. iPhone, Apple Watch, the Health app, and HealthKit-enabled apps and medical devices make it easy for patients to record their health data and share it with their care teams. At home, iOS and iPadOS apps enable patients to remain connected to their care teams between office visits.

Instantly share reports & radiology images

Apps on iPhone and iPad allow patients to find out more about their conditions or treatment, doctors to look at lab results and radiology images, and nurses to send and receive secure communication or to assist ensure patient safety when administering medications.

Heart rate alerts

If a patient’s pulse is above 120 bpm or below 40 bpm while they seem to possess been inactive for 10 minutes, the user will receive a notification. Patients can adjust the edge bpm or turn these notifications on or off. All pulse notifications — along side date, time, and pulse — are often viewed within the Health app on iPhone.

Apple Watch checks for unusually high or low heart rates within the background, which might be signs of a significant underlying condition. This might assist you and your patients identify situations which can warrant further evaluation.

You can turn on heart rate notifications when you first open the Heart Rate app on your Apple Watch, or at any time later from your iPhone:

On your iPhone, open the Apple Watch app.
Tap the My Watch tab, then tap Heart.
Tap High Heart Rate, then choose a BPM.
Tap Low Heart Rate, then choose a BPM.

Irregular rhythm notifications – Apple Watch for medical professionals

Irregular rhythm notifications use the optical heart sensor to detect the heart beat wave at the wrist and appearance for variability in beat‑to‑beat intervals when the user is at rest. If the algorithm repeatedly detects an irregular rhythm implicational AFib, your patient will receive a notification and therefore the date, time, and beat‑to‑beat pulse are going to be recorded within the Health app.

The irregular rhythm notification occasionally checks for signs of irregular rhythms which will be implicational fibrillation (AFib). This feature won’t detect all instances of AFib but may catch something which will provide your patients with an early indication that further evaluation could also be warranted.

The irregular notification feature has been granted De Novo classification by the FDA for users 22 years and older within the U.S. with no prior history of AFib.

How to enable irregular rhythm notifications

Make sure that the software on your iPhone and Apple Watch is up to date.
On your iPhone, open the Health app.
Tap the Browse tab, then go to Heart > Irregular Rhythm Notifications.
Once enabled, you can turn irregular rhythm notifications on or off in the Apple Watch app on your iPhone: Open the Apple Watch app, tap the My Watch tab, then go to Heart > Irregular Rhythm.

What to do when you receive an alert

If you receive a notification, the irregular rhythm notification feature on your Apple Watch identified an irregular rhythm suggestive of AFib and confirmed it with multiple readings.

If you have not been diagnosed with AFib by a physician, you should talk to your doctor.

ECG app – Apple Watch for medical professionals

The ECG app uses the electrical heart sensor built into the Digital Crown and therefore the back crystal of Apple Watch Series 4 or later to record one lead ECG almost like a Lead I ECG. The ECG app then provides a results of sinus rhythm, fibrillation , fibrillation with high pulse , or poor recording, and prompts the user to enter any symptoms like rapid or pounding heartbeat, dizziness, or fatigue.

With the ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4 or later, patients who experience symptoms like rapid or skipped heartbeat, or receive the irregular rhythm notification, can capture an ECG and record their symptoms. This world data can enable you to form more informed and timely decisions regarding further evaluation and care.

The waveform, results, date, time, and any symptoms are recorded and may be exported from the Health app as a PDF to share with a clinician. If the patient notes symptoms that indicate a significant condition, they’re prompted to right away call emergency services.

Fall Detection

All falls detected are recorded in the Health app. This feature is automatically enabled for users 55 years and older and can be turned on for anyone in the Apple Watch app on iPhone.

When a hard fall is detected with Apple Watch Series 4 or later, an alert appears and allows the user to easily call emergency services or dismiss the alert. If the user is unresponsive for about a minute, an emergency call will be placed automatically and a message will be sent to the user’s emergency contacts.

Medical ID.

Medical ID allows first responders and emergency room clinicians to access critical medical information from a patient’s iPhone lock screen or Apple Watch without requiring a passcode, and without compromising patient privacy. Patients can list important information such as allergies, medications, conditions, organ donor preferences, and emergency contacts by setting up Medical ID in the Health app on iPhone.

Here’s how it works

If Apple Watch Series 4 or later detects a hard fall while you’re wearing your watch, it taps you on the wrist, sounds an alarm, and displays an alert. You can choose to contact emergency services or dismiss the alert by pressing the Digital Crown, tapping Close in the upper-left corner, or tapping “I’m OK.”

If your Apple Watch detects that you’re moving, it waits for you to respond to the alert and won’t automatically call emergency services. If your watch detects that you have been immobile for about a minute, it will make the call automatically.

After the call ends, your watch sends a message to your emergency contacts with your location letting them know that your watch detected a hard fall and dialed emergency services. Your watch gets your emergency contacts from your Medical ID.

Some countries and regions have multiple emergency service numbers. For these countries, Apple Watch will call the number associated with ambulance services.

Set up your Medical ID and add emergency contacts

Open Settings on your iPhone, then tap Health > Medical ID.
Tap Edit.
Enter your date of birth and other health information.
To add an emergency contact, tap the add button under emergency contacts. Tap a contact, then add their relationship.
To remove an emergency contact, tap the remove button next to the contact, then tap Delete.
To make your Medical ID available from the Lock screen, turn on Show When Locked. In an emergency, this gives information to people who want to help. To share your Medical ID with emergency responders, turn on Share During Emergency Call. When you make a call or send a text to emergency services on your iPhone or Apple Watch, your Medical ID will automatically be shared with emergency services.*
Tap Done.

Mobility and Cardio Fitness.

Mobility and cardiovascular fitness can be strong indicators of overall physical health and a predictor of long-term well-being. Apple Watch and iPhone can provide estimates of mobility metrics to give you and your patients a better understanding of how they impact mobility today and provide tools to monitor these factors over time. Mobility metrics include Cardio Fitness (VO₂ max), Six-Minute Walk Distance, and other metrics used to measure walking quality (Walking Speed, Step Length, Double Support Time, and Walking Asymmetry). These metrics can be utilized for research and app development with the user’s permission.

Apps

Medical professionals can provide faster, more personalized care in the hospital with apps focusing on clinical care, nursing care, and the patient experience. Patients can manage their health outside the hospital with HealthKit-enabled apps. And ResearchKit-enabled apps make it easier for medical researchers to gather robust and meaningful data from larger, more varied populations.

Clinical Care

Epocrates

Look up drug prescription and safety information, check for potentially harmful drug interactions, and access timely medical news and research information.

Epic Haiku

Authorized clinicians can securely access clinic schedules, hospital patient lists, and test results on iPhone. Real-time updates and notifications can be displayed on Apple Watch and iPhone.

Nursing care

PatientTouch

Nurses can follow medication administration requirements, send and receive secure text messages, place voice calls, manage alerts, and access real-time patient information all in one place.

Voalte One VP

Voalte One combines VoIP calling, alert notification, and text messaging in one app. It can also be integrated with existing nurse call systems to let nurses accept, escalate, or accept and call the patient back directly.

Payient Experience

Epic MyChart Bedside

Patients in the hospital can track their progress, view their daily schedules, access educational materials, and see the names, faces, and roles of their care team.

Care at Home

Mayo Clinic

Patients can get daily health and wellness insights, securely sync and view their Mayo Clinic health data, and book doctor appointments.

Corrie Health

Corrie Health gives patients greater control after a heart attack and helps reduce readmission rates. The app integrates with Apple Watch, allowing for continuous data collection so that clinicians can have better insight into their patients’ health status and recovery.

Medical Research

Mom Genes Fight PPD

This international research is focused on studying postpartum depression (PPD) and searching for a genetic cause to help improve detection, prevention and treatment. The app is used to recruit, consent, screen, and enable DNA collection from women with a history of PPD.

TRUE-HF

The TRUE-HF study will investigate how physiological signals from Apple Watch — such as heart rate and the new blood oxygen feature — can help with better management of heart failure with the goal of driving better clinical outcomes for heart failure patients.

Which Apple Watch is best for Nurses?

In short, the current series Apple Watch sports model with silicone band is probably the best Apple Watch for nurses. Its reasonable price, lightweight construction, water-resistant design, and hypoallergenic materials are great for various settings. Moreover, the materials are easy to clean and can be frequently washed without damaging the watch. As a result, nurses can wash their hands regularly without concern.

Lastly, the easy-to-clean silicone band is user-friendly and won’t snag fabrics or other materials while working. Ultimately, the best Apple Watch for nurses provides nurses with the features they need with a work-friendly case and band. I’ve included a how-to shop for the most reliable apple watch for nurses section earlier in the guide.

Does the Apple Watch Have a Second Hand?

Yes, the Apple Watch offers several watch faces that include ones with a second hand. This is especially useful for nurses who require an analog watch for vital assessments and other healthcare-related tasks. Additionally, numerous watch faces include numberless display faces, digital fonts, chronograph dials, and military time.

Alternate of Apple Watch for medical professionals

Being a nurse is a job that demands a lot from a person. And most nurses wear watches. You have to be constantly focused, keeping your mind on the task at hand, and having an immense workload to get through. It’s a highly active job and comes with a lot of stress. Nurses really are heroes. As this is such a complex job, we’re seeing watch companies releasing specific wearables to suit.

They’re regular watches, but they have a few functions that would benefit these medical professionals. And they deserve a quality watch.

In short, the best ones are water-resistant, comfortable on the wrist or easy to clip onto a scrub pocket, easy to wipe clean (but let’s not go into the gory details as to why) and should offer excellent visibility.

Speidel Scrub Watch for Medical Professionals

This watch is particularly great for nurses because the silicone band offers a lot of comfort. Also, this means it’s very easy to keep clean, which is an essential feature. The 38mm case is stainless steel.

The collection, called Scrub, are designed specifically as watches for nurses and those in the medical profession who require accuracy from their watch. The dial is easily read when in a hurry. The second hand can be relied on for taking an accurate pulse reading. Plus, the band is easily wiped clean with antibac. Worth noting that the band is interchangeable if you want or need another and there are also almost 40 different colours.

It has a water-resistance rating of 3ATM, which means 30m. Inside it has a Quartz movement, which powers the 3 black hands on the face, which sit on an analogue display with a white dial for optimal contrast. It offers time in a 24-hour format. As for the seconds, you get a red hand which can be vital when taking a pulse.

This watch costs under $100.

Versa 3 Health and Fitness Smartwatch

Fitbit Versa 3 Health - alternate of Apple Watch for medical professionals

The Fitbit Versa 3 is the latest Versa model and offers both style and smart functionality, making it one of the best watches for nurses. It has an OLED display that is bright in all lighting conditions (plus, you can turn it up or make it dimmer if needed). If it’s handy to you, you can utilise the always-on display. A feature that, until now, was made famous by the more expensive Apple Watch.

Medical professionals like nurses are likely interested in their own health and fitness, and Fitbit is still a leading brand for fitness trackers. The Versa 3 will monitor heart rate, calories burned, steps taken and distance.

The Versa 3 has an abundance of apps that make life a little easier. For one, nurses can use the timer function for a whole range of their day-to-day tasks. There’s also the option to set multiple alarms if you need reminding of certain things.

Looking at the design, it’s not too far from the premium look you get from Apple, albeit more rounded. The watches are interchangeable, too.

Advanced features include blood oxygen saturation monitoring, breathing rate and temperature (whilst you sleep) which, altogether, give an excellent overview of your general health. Whilst you sleep, the Versa 3 will monitor your sleep stages and provide you with an easy-to-understand score out of 100 in the morning. If you had a bad night, you’d be able to see where you woke or how long you spent in the sleep stages and how this compares to averages within your age group.

You can get a Fitbit Versa 3 for around $200.