- Empirical Health is an app that uses smartwatch data to provide personalized healthcare
- It’s supported by most major insurers and available in more than 30 US states
- It just launched on Android with support for Wear OS watches
Empirical Health is an app that promises to transform personalized health care using data from your smartwatch, and now it’s available on Android with support for the best Android smartwatches, providing they run Wear OS.
The 2.0 version of Empirical Health launched on Apple Watch last year and is now available on the Google Play Store. It supports Samsung Galaxy watches, Google Pixel Watches, Fitbits, and other Wear OS devices.
The app’s premise is simple. “WearOS watches track tons of health data, but most of it goes unused by the healthcare system. We think that’s a missed opportunity,” the company explains. “So, we built an entire medical practice that uses modern technology to streamline diagnostics, improve treatment, and keep the doctor-patient relationship at the center of care.”
Medical care through Empirical Health is accessible in more than 30 US states and supported by most major insurance providers. According to the company, that’s more than 200 million covered customers, so what exactly can the app do?
Transforming smartwatch data into healthcare
Empirical Health takes data from your smartwatch and uses AI to turn it into a personalized health plan. The plans can only be used once they’ve been reviewed by a real-life human doctor, who can also provide lab tests, referrals, or prescriptions.
Specifically, the company highlights benefits including at-home tests for sleep apnea. If your smartwatch detects metrics such as low deep sleep or irregular breathing, one of its doctors can order you an at-home sleep apnea test covered by insurance.
It also tracks your heart rate data, and can even provide the equivalent of a tilt table test for Long COVID and Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). The app has a Today tab, which gives you at-a-glance information like heart rate, sleep, symptom, and workout data. There’s also a Metrics tab with a deep dive into over 40 biomarkers taken from your smartwatch data and any blood test results you might have. In eligible locations, you can also use the Chat tab to speak to a doctor, and you can use the Goals tab to set up your own personalized health plan for nutrition, exercise, and more.
With Apple recently unveiling its own ambitious health study into the impact of tech on physical and mental well-being, Empirical Health’s expansion is another sign that smartwatches are fast becoming an integral part of everyday health and well-being. Features like sleep apnea detection, heart rate monitoring, fall detection, and ECGs are making smartwatches indispensable for people who want to take control of their health.
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stephen.warwick@futurenet.com (Stephen Warwick)
