Smart Watches Lack Skin Smarts: Current and Future Dermatologic Applications in Device Metrics

Smartwatches have proven life-saving in medical specialties such as cardiology. Smartwatches actively warn us of arrhythmia risk and loud noise exposure. However, dermatologic health metrics are rarely monitored, and users are never alerted of potential skin health issues. Furthermore, the role of these devices within dermatology has not been evaluated in the literature. This study aims to analyze the current data points monitored by smartwatches and discuss potential adaptations to support dermatologic patient education and improve clinical management. Methods: The top three smartwatches per global market share were identified and analyzed to determine the health data points they monitor and the alerts they provide. These data points were grouped and compared based on their corresponding body systems. Results: Cardiovascular health comprises the highest percentage of data points collected with an average of 41% while dermatologic health averaged only 11%. Conclusion: Dermatology is grossly underrepresented in current smartwatch devices. There is an important need to expand the dermatologic health metrics tracked by adapting existing smartwatch technology. From proactive cancer prevention to disease-specific reactive interventions, smartwatches can play a significant role in improving dermatological health and reducing healthcare costs.