Community-dwelling older adults' acceptance of smartwatches for health and location tracking.
Jane Chung, Heidi Rishel Brakey, Blaine Reeder and 2 others
PMID 35818900WHAT IT FOUND
Older adults were generally positive about smartwatches for health and location tracking, but bulky size, poor display visibility, battery life, instructions and privacy worries limited their willingness to use them.
Key findings
01Perceived health shaped interest: one participant with atrial fibrillation valued heart-rate monitoring, while participants who felt healthy or active did not see a need for activity sensors.
02Device acceptance was tied to physical usability: bulky size, uncomfortable straps, poor display visibility, difficulty turning on GPS, and a wish for longer battery life and waterproofing were reported as problems.
03Participants were willing to share activity and location data with healthcare providers and family, but some worried about being watched or having location exposed to an unauthorised person.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 30 community-dwelling older adults were studied, and the sample was mostly well-educated and comfortable with technology, so views may not apply to the oldest old or less tech-experienced patients. Participants wore the device for only 3 days during the day, so findings reflect initial impressions rather than long-term use or continued adoption. The study did not test the Fitbit app or data dashboard, so privacy concerns and the usefulness of shared data may be incomplete. No mobility or health outcomes were tested here; the paper reports acceptance and usability, not whether the device detects decline or improves care. Four participants knew the interviewer, although the team reviewed this relationship and another researcher checked transcripts for bias.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest. Funding was named as the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences and the National Center for Research Resources.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that smartwatches are accepted or effective for older adults' health monitoring. It reports early impressions from 30 mostly well-educated participants after 3 days, not sustained use or patient outcomes.