Coral Gables-based Baptist Health South Florida is incorporating data from consumer wearable devices into cardiology care, using continuous heart monitoring to help flag potential issues between visits.
Here are five takeaways from a Jan. 27 news release:
1. Wearables extend cardiac monitoring beyond the clinic. Baptist cardiologists say wearable devices offer a more complete picture of a patient’s heart health by capturing data over days or weeks — not just during brief office visits. That longitudinal view can help identify trends clinicians might otherwise miss.
2. Irregular rhythm detection is a key use case. Physicians note that many wearables can flag irregular heart rhythms, including signs consistent with atrial fibrillation, which is often asymptomatic. Those alerts can prompt earlier clinical follow-up when patients might not have otherwise sought care.
3. Devices can surface episodic or “silent” events. According to Baptist clinicians, arrhythmias and other cardiac issues don’t always occur on a predictable schedule. Wearables can capture intermittent events in real-world settings, providing context that informs next-step testing or referrals.
4. Wearables support patient engagement — with guardrails. Cardiologists say patients are increasingly engaged when they can see their own heart data, but emphasize that wearables are screening tools, not diagnostic devices. Alerts should lead to conversations with clinicians, not self-diagnosis.
5. Clinical interpretation remains essential. Baptist physicians caution that wearable data can be affected by motion, device fit and other variables. As a result, clinicians must interpret results in clinical context and determine when traditional monitoring tools or additional testing are warranted.
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