Health trackers data and doctors

A recent study published in *Healthcare* explored how everyday users feel about sharing health tracker data with their healthcare providers, finding that 94% of participants would be willing to do so. While many have already discussed their data with professionals, the study highlights a gap between willingness and reality due to factors like physician training and privacy concerns, suggesting that healthcare systems need to adapt to effectively utilize wearable data and foster patient trust.

Read the full article at https://www.paperleap.com/blog/articles/would-you-share-your-health-tracker-data-with-your-doctor-0cccur

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the paper Leap podcast, where a science takes
the mic. Each episode, we discuss cutting edge research, groundbreaking discoveries,
and the incredible people behind them, across disciplines and across
the world. Whether you're a curious mind, a researcher, or
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(00:21):
don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an insight.
All the content is also available on paper leap dot com. Okay, ready,
let's start. If you're wearing a Fitbit, Apple Watch or
Garmin right now, you're not alone. These little gadgets, once
humble step counters, have evolved into sleek, powerful devices that

(00:45):
track everything from heart rate to sleep cycles. For many
of us, they've become personal coaches, cheerleaders, and sometimes stern
reminders to get off the couch. But here's a bigger question.
What happens if you bring that data to your doctor.
Would it actually help improve your care or just give

(01:06):
your physician one more chart to scroll through, And just
as importantly, would you want to share it? A new
study published in Healthcare dives right into this issue. A
team of researchers from the University of South Australia's Alliance
for Research and Exercise, Nutrition and Activity explored how everyday

(01:27):
wearable users feel about sharing their health tracker data with
their healthcare providers. The team consisted of Kimberly Cito, Carol Mayer,
Rachel Curtis, Ben Singh, Tara Kine, Darcy Beckett and ty Ferguson,
bringing together expertise in exercise science, digital health and public health.

(01:51):
Their findings are encouraging, but they also raised some tricky
questions about privacy, trust and the future of digital health.
Let's zoom out for a moment. Lifestyle related health problems
like physical and activity, poor sleep, and unhealthy diets are
among the leading causes of chronic disease worldwide. They contribute

(02:14):
to heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and depression. The economic
costs are staggering. Inactivity alone costs global health care systems
billions of dollars each year. For decades, doctors have relied
on patient's self reports to understand their daily habits. But

(02:35):
let's be honest. Few of us remember exactly how many
steps we took last Tuesday, or how restless we were
during sleep last night. That's where wearable activity trackers called
wats come in. They provide continuous, objective data that can
paint a far more accurate picture of our daily health behaviors.

(02:58):
In theory, this is a gold mine for doctors. Imagine
being able to spot early warning signs of poor sleep,
dips in activity, or even irregular heart rhythms long before
they spiral into serious health problems. But for this to work,
patients need to be willing to share their data and
doctors need to know how to use it. That's where

(03:19):
Cito and her team stepped in. The researchers surveyed four
hundred and forty seven adults from around the world who
had used a wearable tracker within the past three years.
Most participants were young, under forty five, female sixty percent,
and either current or former users of popular devices like
Apple Watch, Fitbit, and garment. They found that ninety four

(03:44):
percent of participants said they'd be willing to share their
tracker data with a healthcare provider, forty seven percent had
actually discussed their tracker data with a doctor, physiotherapists, or
other health professional. Forty three percent had directly sh shared
the data, whether through apps, screenshots, or old fashioned verbal reports.

(04:05):
And yet privacy was the number one concern, with about
one in ten participants mentioning it. Specifically Interestingly, people with
chronic health conditions were more likely to share their data
they had more at stake, but they were also more
likely to worry about privacy and data accuracy. Geography mattered too.

(04:27):
Participants in the United States were more open to sharing
and less worried about privacy than those in Australia. The
reasons for this difference aren't fully clear, but may reflect
cultural differences in health care systems and attitudes toward data sharing.
What's particularly counterintuitive is the gap between what people say

(04:49):
they're willing to do and what actually happens in clinics.
Nearly everyone in the study said they'd share their data,
but fewer than half had ever done so why. Researchers
suggest a few possibilities. First, doctors may not ask. In fact,
many healthcare providers aren't trained or equipped to interpret wearable data. Second,

(05:12):
patients may not know whether their doctor would find it helpful. Third,
technology gaps may play a big role. While devices sinc
seamlessly with our phones, few clinics have systems to securely
import and analyze patient generated wearable data. This gap isn't
unique to wearables. It reflects a broader challenge in digital health.

(05:34):
People are willing, but the healthcare system hasn't caught up yet.
For some, the hesitation comes down to privacy. After all,
wearable trackers collect intimate data about our bodies and our
daily routines, when we sleep, how often we move, sometimes
even our location. While most people are comfortable sharing this

(05:55):
with the doctor, they may worry about insurance companies, employers,
or tech firms gaining access. At present, many commercial wearable
devices don't meet the strict data privacy standards required in healthcare.
Until companies and healthcare systems build secure pipelines using encryption, deidentification,

(06:15):
and transparent data governance, some patients will understandably hold back.
As the author's note, patients are generally more willing to
share data when they know it's for health care purposes,
not for marketing or profit. In other words, trust is everything,
So should you show your step counts and sleep graphs

(06:37):
to your doctor? This study suggests most people are ready,
and many have already tried, but the healthcare system isn't
fully set up to make the most of it yet.
The authors argue that wearable data could be an efficient
and economical way to monitor and encourage healthier behaviors, especially
since so many people already own these devices. Unlike medical

(07:00):
grade equipment, wearables don't have to be purchased by clinics
or insurers. They're already sitting on people's risks. But to
realize this potential, healthcare providers need training on how to
interpret and use wearable data systems that allow secure, seamless
integration with electronic health records, clear standards for accuracy since

(07:22):
not all trackers are created equal, and strong privacy protections
to reassure patients. The study is part of a growing
wave of research exploring how personal technology can reshape medicine.
Future research will need to answer some pressing questions, including
the following. Can wearable data actually improve patient outcomes or

(07:45):
will it just add more noise? How do we ensure
this technology helps everyone, not just younger, wealthier, tech savvy users.
What's the right balance between patient privacy and data usefulness?
The answers will shape how healthcare looks in the next decade.
If you use a wearable this study suggests you're not

(08:07):
alone in wondering whether to share your data with your doctor.
Most people are open to it, and many doctors are
beginning to see the value. So the next time you
visit your GP, it might be worth saying, hey, I've
been tracking my sleep in activity. Want to take a look.
Even if they don't dive deep into your graphs, it
could start a conversation about lifestyle habits that are essential

(08:30):
to long term health. And if you're worried about privacy,
that's valid. Ask how your data will be used, stored,
and protected. As with any aspect of healthcare, you deserve
transparency and trust. That's it for this episode of the
paperlea podcast. If you found it thought provoking, fascinating, or

(08:53):
just informative, share it with the fellow science nerd. For
more research highlights and full articles, visit visit paperleef dot com.
Also make sure to subscribe to the podcast. We've got
plenty more discoveries to unpack. Until next time, Keep questioning,
keep learning,