To you and others here: I am not a doctor or medical device manufacturer. Apple and others are entering an industry (medical devices) that is heavily regulated and is not the same as an MP3 player industry. What I am saying is:
1)I welcome the day of an Apple Watch device that will test/track loads of information about my health...and make it available instantly to an ER doctor if they find me lying on the side of the road...and make it available to my Primary Care Physician (PCP) whenever needed...and make it easily available/readable to me, Mr. Consumer, so I can watch for possible problems. We've seen such devices (or suits) in sci-fi movies for at least the past 40 years...to have something like that by 2030 would be amazing. One can argue that currently, Apple and others are pitching these products as psuedo-medical devices. 3-10 years from now my guess is these would be pitched as medical devices and/or treated as such by the government and viewed by society as a medical device...not a watch that just so happens to guess your heart rate.
2)If there is no accountability/liability by the manufacturer, then the device is nothing more than a toy and should be advertised as such. People aren't going to die if their cell phone doesn't live up to a promise of blazing fast internet speeds or some fancy display. People aren't going to die if their tv doesn't stream perfectly. People aren't going to die if their iPod battery doesn't last the promised 8 hours. People will die, however, if their <insert your 2030 medical device name here that is much like an Apple Watch> decides to stop tracking your heart rate unbeknownst to you...or if it reports your heart rate is fine when it's definitely very bad...or it reports your blood pressure is perfect when it is truly terrible...or fails to call 911 as promised if you have a heart attack. These wearable devices that promise/promote/advertise health tracking so that you can take care of yourself better or report results to ER or PCPs need to be held accountable if they do not meet these promises/advertisements. If they want to advertise them as fun My Little Pony Health Care Tracker for playtime and pretend doctor scenarios, sure, that's a completely different sales pitch and story and acceptance of use. Apple's website states (emphasis mine):
"Apple Watch Series 4 inspires you to live a healthier life by helping you manage everything from everyday stress to calories burned. At the same time, it monitors your heart rate and lets you know if it detects something of concern. And that sense of security now goes a step further with fall detection and Emergency SOS. The new Apple Watch has your back — as well as your heart....Emergency SOS allows you to quickly get help. It calls 911, notifies your emergency contacts, sends your current location, and displays your Medical ID badge on the screen for emergency personnel."
That sounds like a medical device to me...and some really straightforward advertising about security, emergency situations, and that it "has your back". It will diplay my Medical ID to the ER, call 911 for me, sends my physical location, etc. Those are a lot of promises and I take them very seriously. I'll pay for it. But I want accountability in return for my payment for this medical device.
I'll happily pay for the medical device that is accurate, designed with the stringest QC, and that the manufacturer is held accountable. I won't pay for a toy because it's no use to me. This is exactly why I returned my Fitbit...it was completely inaccurate (and hundreds of others agreed). There is no value, in my eyes, for a $150 step counter that is wildly inaccurate.
