This reduction would ‘offset the initial cost of the device’: New research argues for health services giving out Apple Watches to patients for free

New research confirms that Apple Watch’s heart health features can assist with clinical diagnoses
The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, shows that using an Apple Watch could make it four times more likely to get diagnosed with atrial fibrillation
Here’s how to set your Apple Watch up to make sure it flags up an irregular heartbeat

Regular readers will know that most smartwatches, and many of the best fitness trackers, now come with an ECG functionality that can help diagnose heart health issues. Apple is leading the way on this, with the best Apple Watches now capable of flagging not just irregular heart rate rhythms, but also signs of hypertension or high blood pressure.

Now, a recent study has confirmed that Apple Watches can indeed assist in the diagnosis of atrial fibrillation, catching otherwise symptomless conditions before they strike, and might even quadruple the number of diagnoses doctors may otherwise miss before it’s too late. The end result saves medical services money and time in treatment, and may even be life-saving for patients.

Apple Watch, and 218 patients receiving standard care. In the Apple Watch group, 21 patients were diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and received care, and 57% of those were showing no outward symptoms other than what was on their watch.

Just five patients were diagnosed in the control group, all of whom were symptomatic. The watches picked up four times as many people who ended up being diagnosed with the heart condition.

Cardiologist at Amsterdam UMC, Michael Winter, argued for smartwatches to be used in medical settings, claiming the savings in medical services would “offset the initial cost of the device”.

“Using smartwatches with PPG and ECG functions aids doctors in diagnosing individuals unaware of their arrhythmia, thereby expediting the diagnostic process,” said Winter. “Our findings suggest a potential reduction in the risk of stroke, benefiting both patients and the healthcare system by reducing costs.”

Apple has published guidance on heart rate notifications, but here’s how to turn them on.

Open the Health app on your iPhone.
Search for Heart, then tap Irregular Rhythm Notifications.
Follow the on-screen set-up instructions.
Switch on notifications by switching to the Apple Watch app, then My Watch > Heart > Irregular Rhythm