Recently I have been trying to learn to code on iPhone and iPad using the Swift programming language. I have been following
this website Apple has created to learn some basics and following other blogs/resources. There are 3 classes offered by
Stanford on iTunes U before they recommend learning taking their code for iOS. I am really excited to try to make some of my app ideas come to life, but it takes patience and dedication as programming is not as simple as designing websites nowadays.
This post I want to talk about how I have been using my
Apple Watch to help in the clinic and where I would like to see smart wrist wear go.
There are multiple smart watches out there including:
Each have their pros and cons but I'll be talking about the Apple Watch Apps I have been using (Android Wear has many of the apps I'll discuss)
These are the default Apps that come on the Watch
Messaging & Phone
It is quite convenient to have my text messages or Google Hangout messages go to my watch, I am able to glance at it to see if it is urgent and if not I can resume work. The front desk will use Google Hangouts to get my attention when my next patient is here or if they need me to come up front. There are even quick reply options such as yes/no/thanks or you can dictate a message.
Phone calls will also go to my watch and you can answer right on the watch without having to pull your phone out.
Timers & Stop Watch
It is awesome to be able to use Siri on the watch and say "set a timer for 5 minutes" while I have a patient on heat.
I also use the stop watch frequently to get any objective data such as 5x sit to stand or when ambulating around the track.
Exercise & Fitness Tracking
The Apple Watch automatically tracks your heart rate periodically but can constantly track it when you use start an exercise routine. The Exercise app shows: Distance, HR, Calories, Speed, and Time Exercised
All your exercise is tracked within the Activity Tracking app and tells you how close you are to your fitness goal. Apple Watch already has a goal of standing 1 minute every hour to help decrease sedentary jobs.
Apple Watch has bluetooth capabilities and can store 2GB of music on the watch itself. I got a nice cheap pair of
blutetooth headsets on Amazon which pair to the watch so I can go on a bike ride or jog with no cords or phone. However, not having the iPhone decreases the accuracy of exercise tracking.
Camera
I have mentioned before I like to use my camera to record patients using a
cheap tripod to hold my phone I got on Amazon. The Apple Watch camera app will display what your phone camera sees and give you an option to take a picture with a 3 second countdown.
Coach's Eye has an app to start the camera
Maps
Apple Maps work with the Apple Watch and have distinct vibrations for left or right turns. Google Maps also has an app. (I prefer Google Maps to Apple Maps as Google is more up to date but Apple Maps has always got me to my destinations)
Payments
I do not have a credit card that supports
Apple Pay, but you are able to use your Apple Watch or iPhone 6 and later to make payments. I have not seen much regarding Android Pay or Samsung Pay on smart watches.
Here are some 3rd Party Apps I have used for the clinic
Pill Reminders
Web MD watch app has a pill reminder function whcih would be handy for many of our older patients or those who are on multiple medications.
PowerPoint Remote
I recently gave an in service to my clinic by displaying the
PowerPoint from my phone to a large TV using AirPlay. I used my Apple Watch as a remote to advance slides and monitor the time elapses, however it was a little burdonsome with the app closing out and the watch turning off. Using the PowerPoint app on iPhone while AirDisplaying is more useful as it displays notes you have on each slide.
Clock In/Out
Doing a clinical set in the hospital was stressful for me as I had to know the exact amount of minutes I spent with each patient and I would forget to write it down frequently. I came across an app called
Do Button by IFTTT, which has many functions you can program. When I open the app and press the button it automatically logs the time and date into a spread sheet for me, so I made it a habit to do that. Other uses I've seen for Do Button are to "call yourself to get out of a meeting" or "adjust smart thermostat".
Dictating Notes
There is another app by IFTTT called
Do Note that I have tried to use to dictate myself notes or add a calendar event to Google Calendar. When you tap the button it allows you to speak a note to your watch and will automatically save it as a text file to drop box of what you said. I think this is an awesome idea to be able to say objective data to my watch such as "patient has 92 degrees of shoulder flexion active range of motion" so I do not have to stop and write it down. However, I find the time it takes to get to the app and ready for dictation to take anywhere from 10-30 seconds. In the future it would be nice to see a complication for the watch face for easy access and faster processors in the smart watches so apps load more quickly.
Tally Counter
I enjoy having a tally counter when patients are walking laps or doing other activity to help me keep track. I currently use Tally Counter Pro.
Other
Sometimes I'll hear a song on the radio while out and quickly get my Watch out and pull up
Shazam to identify music.
Mint is handy to track my spending
Deliveries is great to track packages. I add all my tracking numbers from different shipping companies and it tracks it all nicely in one place
Accelerometers
An interesting app I saw called
Ping will utilize the accelerometers in the Apple Watch to analyze golf swing tempo and track on-course statistics.
I also came across an article discussing researchers using the accelerometers to
manipulate a drone with simple hand gestures. This makes me curious as the possibilities we could use tools like this to help assess patients with issues such as Parkinson's.
Overall I really enjoy having my watch. I'm sure we will see more powerful with future iterations of smart watches. Most of the smart watches out there need to be charged frequently but I find myself about 20-30% life remaining at the end of the day. There are apps I would love to see made in the future to make communication in hospitals and clinics more useful to better care for our patients. During an Apple Event on 9/9/15,
AirStrip announced an Apple Watch app to help monitor multiple patients' ECGs in the hospital, but has yet to be released. I do believe these can be helpful tools to help motivate our patients to live more active lifestyles and help clinicians work more effectively, but currently I find them mostly useful for exercise/checking weather/quick replies for messages.
