Wearable health monitors generate data, create challenges for diabetic patients

Older adults are interested in results, but technology needs to stick and be easy to use. Devices to monitor health in patients can be helpful if the technology is easy to use and patients use them. A new study examined wearability and ease of use – and found both caused challenges for older adult diabetic patients and caregivers. Among the findings: Diabetic participants “were very interested in understanding their numbers,” such as glucose levels, and what those meant for their health. But the devices were tricky to use, “suggesting a need for device manufacturers to improve wearability and usability of the devices,” according to a news release about the study. “This is a whole area of health technology that needs study,” study leader Michael Weiner, MD, MPH, said in the news release. “There's hardware involved, which is the device itself. There's software involved, which is reading, organizing, interpreting, and communicating the data from the device.