This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
BLOG: A doctor’s review of the Apple Watch — Haptics aren’t just for IOLs anymore
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Among us Apple enthusiasts, the year’s most anticipated release has been the Apple Watch, and after a week of wear, I’m impressed but eager to see significant enhancements that will benefit clinicians.
First, some background. The Apple Watch connects via Bluetooth to an iPhone and uses the phone’s connectivity and hardware to track movement and put many of the phone’s simpler functions on the wearer’s wrist. Besides measuring heart rate, it can send alerts by subtle “haptic” taps (look it up) on the wrist in various patterns to convey information. For example, when navigating with Maps, 12 quick taps means turn right at the next intersection while three sets of double taps means turn left.
The convenience and discretion of taps on the wrist has great potential and might allow some clever communication strategies for doctors, and the ease of access of the watch raises its own possibilities.
Overall, I’ve adapted and grown to like the convenience of limited phone functionality without fishing out my phone. On my way to and from Kiawah Eye, it was nice to jump on the plane by flipping my wrist to scan my boarding pass rather than fumbling with a phone and bags. Responding to texts with Apple’s cleverly contextual pre-filled responses is downright convenient. Having Siri just one finger touch away is a big improvement, and her voice recognition seems to be considerably more accurate on the watch than iPhone. And I love being able to silence a ringer just by covering the watch’s screen with my hand.
Clearly, the best of Apple Watch is yet to come, especially for health care practitioners. I’d love to see haptic alerts that differentiate callers whose calls I want to take while seeing patients, like my wife or another doctor. Customized vibration alerts by caller are already available on the iPhone, and they’ll surely come soon for Apple Watch.
Another wish is an in-office communication app for the Web, in which a member of my staff could signal from a computer a preset pattern of haptic taps for various messages, such as three long taps means you’re 30 minutes behind. Currently this is only available to other Apple Watch wearers. Having one-touch ability to send a verbal message, as with WeChat or audio iMessaging but with fewer screen touches, would be helpful as well.
There’s no question that wearable phone peripherals are here to stay, and as clever developers gain experience, there’s no telling what novel solutions will emerge.
Now if I could just get my Apple Watch to help me do E&M coding — well, there should be an app for that.
Disclosure: Hovanesian reports he owns stock in Apple Inc.