Although I live in New Zealand, I am lucky enough to have a U.S.-purchased Apple Watch. When the 5.1.2 update was released a few days ago I was extremely eager to try this functionality out. I...
Although I live in New Zealand, I am lucky enough to have a U.S.-purchased Apple Watch. When the 5.1.2 update was released a few days ago I was extremely eager to try this functionality out. I have to say I'm really impressed with what it can accomplish with such a small working area & slice of your electrical rhythm.
The induction process appears well thought out. A series of instructional slides appears in the Health app once the update is complete. It's made very clear that the ECG feature is not for people who already have afib, it should not be used to definitively diagnose you, and it can't detect heart attacks or other cardiac problems; if you're unsure, you should see a medical professional.
There's an age confirmation step where you enter your birthdate—you must be 22 or over to use this app (I'm 23)—although interestingly, the ECG PDF printouts utilise your Apple ID-entered age information, so it appears the confirmation data is subsequently discarded.
The app itself is fairly well designed. It instructs you to place a dry finger firmly on the digital crown, but not enough to press it, and keep still for 30 seconds—it's heavily disturbed by movement, even talking. The ECG readout is displayed real time on screen. After 30 seconds of data collection, one of three outcomes is displayed: "sinus rhythm" (healthy electrical signals), "inconclusive" (too much movement, too sweaty, too low heart rate, too high heart rate), "afib" (suspect electrical signals).
It's really well polished for a Lead I device. It's even—dare say—fun to use. I look forward to future health integrations on smart watches. Pulse-ox, blood-glucose, and blood pressure would all be interesting to see!
I'm honestly surprised they haven't included pulse-ox yet-- the device I used at work was just big enough to clamp around a finger and house a display. I'm not sure of the specifics for...
I'm honestly surprised they haven't included pulse-ox yet-- the device I used at work was just big enough to clamp around a finger and house a display. I'm not sure of the specifics for incorporating into a watch, but it had very useful information for us, and could probably help people.
Samsung’s (maybe other android phones too) have been doing this for a few years. I’d bet big money that Apple will include a sensor upgrade in next year’s version.
Samsung’s (maybe other android phones too) have been doing this for a few years. I’d bet big money that Apple will include a sensor upgrade in next year’s version.
Although I live in New Zealand, I am lucky enough to have a U.S.-purchased Apple Watch. When the 5.1.2 update was released a few days ago I was extremely eager to try this functionality out. I have to say I'm really impressed with what it can accomplish with such a small working area & slice of your electrical rhythm.
The induction process appears well thought out. A series of instructional slides appears in the Health app once the update is complete. It's made very clear that the ECG feature is not for people who already have afib, it should not be used to definitively diagnose you, and it can't detect heart attacks or other cardiac problems; if you're unsure, you should see a medical professional.
There's an age confirmation step where you enter your birthdate—you must be 22 or over to use this app (I'm 23)—although interestingly, the ECG PDF printouts utilise your Apple ID-entered age information, so it appears the confirmation data is subsequently discarded.
The app itself is fairly well designed. It instructs you to place a dry finger firmly on the digital crown, but not enough to press it, and keep still for 30 seconds—it's heavily disturbed by movement, even talking. The ECG readout is displayed real time on screen. After 30 seconds of data collection, one of three outcomes is displayed: "sinus rhythm" (healthy electrical signals), "inconclusive" (too much movement, too sweaty, too low heart rate, too high heart rate), "afib" (suspect electrical signals).
It's really well polished for a Lead I device. It's even—dare say—fun to use. I look forward to future health integrations on smart watches. Pulse-ox, blood-glucose, and blood pressure would all be interesting to see!
I'm honestly surprised they haven't included pulse-ox yet-- the device I used at work was just big enough to clamp around a finger and house a display. I'm not sure of the specifics for incorporating into a watch, but it had very useful information for us, and could probably help people.
Samsung’s (maybe other android phones too) have been doing this for a few years. I’d bet big money that Apple will include a sensor upgrade in next year’s version.