Bringing wearable devices into oncology practice: fitting smart technology in the clinic

Abstract

The new way of acquiring data is at its inception in our ever-changing world. There are now a plethora of opportunities to acquire data; from the data, trends can be calculated, validated, and utilized to solve current problems. Wearable technology has been widely adopted in our society, acquiring roles in many aspects of daily life. With each iteration of a wearable platform, devices are further miniaturized with greater integration of sensors that continually collect and store vast amounts of data. The commercialization of these wearable technologies brings to light opportunities for incorporation of these devices into healthcare, and in particular cancer care. The evolving paradigms of healthcare delivery call for a modification of the current data and results-acquisition structure to better incorporate smart technology implementation. Here we explore the applicability of commercial brand wearable, intelligent technologies in oncology practice and we summarize the workflows and essential concepts that come with wearable smart technology implementation in an oncologic setting.