Validity, reliability and utility of connected objects as a tool for clinicians

The development of consumer grade connected objects has the potential to change the way we detect and manage health in many diverse domains, such as cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological disease, diabetes, sleep disorders and post-operative care. Some of the most significant advantages that connected objects could provide to the medical field include early diagnosis of diseases and exacerbations, improved patient autonomy and behavior, and remote communication with healthcare providers. However, comprehensive studies on the validity and reliability of connected objects in medicine are still limited. More importantly, prospective trials exploring their impact on health outcomes are lacking. Nevertheless, connected tools offer low cost, accessibility and availability across a large community of users, allowing collection of big data in free-living settings. Continuous development in technology added to machine learning systems will further improve connected objects performance in medicine. With the development of this new technology arise new challenges to our society. Regulatory authorities must revise their approach to address digital health. Confidentiality and personal data are increasingly difficult to protect from cybercriminals. On the other hand, insuring patients’ privacy without limiting the development of new potential beneficial technologies is challenging. An opportunity for improvement or a threat to our society, no matter what our opinion on connected objects is, we will have to adapt to them, as they are already everywhere.