Sundries of Clinical Trials That are Much Discarded

The biggest stumbling block to using wearable devices in clinical trials right now is the fact that the majority of devices on the market today are marketed for consumer use, and not approved by the FDA for clinical trial use. In addition, even the most advanced devices may not collect all of the data that researchers need to measure the efficacy of new treatments.

That being said, there are new wearable devices in development specifically for clinical use. While in some cases these devices may appear to resemble the devices we’re all familiar with, many are smaller, more flexible, and more comfortable than consumer devices. The new medical wearables are also more advanced, with the ability to measure blood pressure, fluid levels, and more, giving researchers more insight into patient outcomes — and ultimately, they hope, more accurate results and effective treatments.

The bottom line is that while there are still issues to be worked out, there is great potential for the use of wearable devices in medical trials. With the shift toward electronic data collection, it only makes sense to use technology for more accurate readings — and take the guesswork out of reporting for both patients and researchers. Visit crfhealth.com for more information about clinical trials.