On the Clinical Efficacy of the Apple Watch?

Posted on March 25, 2019 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

New Studies Seek to Define Clinical Efficacy

[By Catalyst @ Health 2.0]

Preliminary results from the Apple Heart Study show the potential health benefits of wearables. Researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine partnered with Apple to conduct a virtual observational study with more than 400,000 participants. The study used the Apple Watch’s irregular rhythm notification (IRN) system to detect atrial fibrillation (AFib). The results showed 0.5% of participants received irregular rhythm notifications. For those who were notified, 21% received and wore an ECG patch. Of those, Afib was confirmed 34% of the time. The positive predictive value of the overall study was 71%, however, this increased to 84% for the subgroup who also used an ECG patch. It should be noted that the study has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Johnson & Johnson’s HEARTLINE Study aims to build on the Apple Heart Study. Announced back in January, the virtual clinical trial will enroll 150,000 Americans 65 years and older to detect AFib and collect outcomes data. Participants will be randomized to either receive the Apple Watch 4 or no watch at all. Compared to the Apple Heart Study, one key technical design difference allows the HEARTLINE Study to draw a clearer connection between AFib observance and confirmation. Instead of waiting for an ECG patch to be mailed to the participant, the ECG app on the user’s Apple Watch 4 will be engaged once the “IRN software detects five out of six consecutive irregular rhythms each lasting one minute.” Both the IRN software and the ECG app are FDA cleared for AFib detection. Although the clinical efficacy of wearables is far from conclusive, the innovative use of virtual clinical trials will likely be commonplace in the future with the continued proliferation of consumer-driven health technologies.
Healthcare Executives Under Threat of Business Model Disruption

Healthcare executives are increasingly worried about business model disruption due to the influx of new entrants, processes, and technologies into the healthcare industry. According to Change Healthcare’s 9th Annual Industry Pulse Survey, 13.3% of 185 healthcare leaders believe that innovations in care delivery will lead to potential advancement within the industry and 11.1% believe that refinement of customer experience will create disruptive change. Other potential disruptors include supply chain innovations (9%), launch of vertical one-stop healthcare companies (8%), and advances in artificial capabilities (7%). However, the survey findings also suggest that healthcare leaders are increasingly embracing healthcare technologies. Thirty percent of leaders indicate that EHRs are their leading source of clinical data and another 30% of respondents say that analytics are “extremely effective” or “very effective” at increasing workflow productivity.

Health systems are also jumping into the digital age, with patients portals employed by 73% and telehealth solutions employed by 54% of all surveyed respondents. Twenty percent of respondents indicate they currently use machine learning and 51% plan to employ the technology in the future. Interestingly, the survey reveals a marked lack of attention toward cybersecurity. Even while 40% of healthcare leaders see cybercrime as a potential risk, 38% answered that there are “too many competing priorities” to warrant the level of attention that cybersecurity needs. Nevertheless, the threat of disruption has charged healthcare leaders to intensify its commitment to combating new market entrants.

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2 Responses

  1. Ann Miller RN MHA, on March 25, 2019 at 12:45 PM said:

    APPLE SUBSCRIPTIONS?

    Apple is set to launch new subscription services aimed at video and news at an event later today.

    The details: There’s still plenty we don’t know but Apple will reportedly charge $9.99 per month each for the TV and news subscriptions. It seems likely it will unveil a games bundle too. The TV app will provide ‘one-click’ subscriptions to other services like HBO, Starz and Showtime, but won’t include Netflixor Hulu. There will also be original Apple TV productions available when it launches. The news subscription will feature over 200 newspapers and magazines, including the Wall Street Journal and Vox (but not the New York Times or the Washington Post.)

    A major pivot: This is a radical departure for a company better known for its high-end hardware. The reason behind this huge, bold pivot is that sales of its gadgets are stagnating. If it’s to keep growing at a blockbuster rate, Apple needs to change its strategy. It hopes that this push into subscriptions will be its savior.

    It’s showtime: The launch will be led by CEO Tim Cook and held in the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. It starts at 10am PT

    https://www.apple.com/apple-events/?utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=71084000&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9Zf0o_X7MMeVXclOc73TgsgmGV4Sw_aTseiJ2YBBjkEIFBPBAaVLaIdZ4z16krZNSsGRMok8iDh4TwecZ5gmOsHWSMoA&_hsmi=71084000

    MIT Technology Review
    via Ann Miller RN MHA

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  2. Mike, on August 28, 2021 at 2:57 PM said:

    TOM COOK’S DECADE

    Under Cook, Apple’s market capitalization has grown around 600% to $2.5 trillion, making it the most valuable public company in the world.

    Apple’s annual revenue in 2011, when Cook took over, was $108.2 billion; in 2020 it made $274.5 billion.

    Sorry, one more thing—Apple was also the most profitable company in the world in fiscal 2020.

    Mike

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