Reality and Possibilities of Smartwatch Utilization
70% of physicians are positive about clinical use: 30% with experience, 40% interested

TechDoctor Inc. (CEO: Kazumichi Minato, Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; hereinafter "TechDoctor") conducted a survey of 400 physicians regarding the utilization status and future intentions for wearable devices such as smartwatches in clinical practice settings.

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BACKGROUND: RAPID EXPANSION OF SMARTWATCH-MEDICAL INTERFACE

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In recent years, applications of smartwatches and wearable devices to the medical field have been progressing, with some Apple Watch functions being approved as medical devices*. Vital data collected by these devices in daily life is becoming a new source of information for medical settings.

For patients, having their health status recorded outside the hospital reflected in medical care could lead to a more convincing healthcare experience. For healthcare professionals, it is also expected to contribute to supplementing medical care, improving work efficiency, and reducing burden through objective understanding of changes in patients' health status.

Against this background, TechDoctor conducted a survey targeting physicians interested in smartwatch utilization to understand the specific utilization status in clinical practice settings and future possibilities.

Note: This survey was conducted targeting a physician population with a certain level of interest in medical applications of smartwatches and does not represent trends among all physicians nationwide. However, the results provide many suggestions regarding advanced utilization situations and future possibilities in the field.

*Reference: Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency

https://www.pmda.go.jp/review-services/drug-reviews/about-reviews/devices/0052.html

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SURVEY SUMMARY

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• 70% of physicians are positive about clinical use of smartwatches (30% usage experience, 40% interest)

• Usage experience in internal medicine and cardiology; expectations in orthopedics and psychiatry

• Expectations for diagnostic support, early detection, and health monitoring; challenges include accuracy verification and system development

• Among non-users, 70% expect data usefulness, provided accuracy is verified
• Most common concern is "measurement accuracy"

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SURVEY OVERVIEW

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Survey Period: March 7-14, 2025

Valid Responses: Preliminary survey: 391 samples, Main survey: 215 samples

Survey Method: Internet research

Survey Target Physician Attributes:

Main Specialties: Internal medicine, cardiology, diabetology/metabolism/endocrinology,

neurology, psychiatry, orthopedics

Affiliated Institution Management Type: General hospitals/clinics excluding university hospitals/public hospitals Affiliated Institution Location: Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Aichi, Osaka,Hyogo, Fukuoka Prefectures

Age: 20-69 years old

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DETAILED SURVEY FINDINGS

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1. Clinical Utilization Status

The survey revealed that 31% of physicians have experience utilizing smartwatches in clinical practice, and 42% responded "would like to utilize if given the opportunity," showing that 70% overall are positive about utilization.

By specialty, utilization is already progressing in cardiology and internal medicine. In cardiology, there is high compatibility with heart rate-related data, with examples already incorporated into clinical practice. For example, Apple Watch functions for recording atrial fibrillation history enable consumer devices to capture signs of heart disease, and it can be inferred that patient inquiries are increasing accordingly.

Meanwhile, in orthopedics and psychiatry, many responded "would like to utilize if given the opportunity," suggesting expectations for wearable devices as a means to continuously understand effects on QOL (quality of life) such as activity levels and sleep quality. Particularly for patients whose symptoms fluctuate  daily, using objective data in combination with subjective complaints is expected to improve quality of care.

2. Purpose of Clinical Utilization

The following items were ranked highly as clinical utilization purposes:

• Diagnostic support

• Early detection of disease risk

• Health status monitoring

For example, relying only on patient chief complaints during examinations may be limited to memories of recent days or content may be ambiguous. However, utilizing data on sleep and heart rate from smartwatches enables objective understanding of physical and mental status over the past several weeks, potentially serving as reference information during diagnosis.

Additionally, if digital indicators (digital biomarkers) can capture early signs characteristic of specific diseases, this leads to disease risk detection.

Furthermore, using such data to continuously monitor disease management status and effects of medication/lifestyle improvements is expected to enable more accurate follow-up between physicians

and patients.

Among physicians who have not yet implemented, high expectations are also placed on "feedback to patients and health promotion guidance."

3. Challenges for Introduction

Challenges for introduction have also been revealed:

• Insufficient verification of measurement accuracy and reliability

• Inadequate response systems on the medical institution side

• Increased workload at medical sites

Particularly physicians without implementation experience showed cautious views regarding "inadequate system development at medical institutions." TechDoctor will work on building medical evidence through technology verification and developing solutions th

at are easy to use in clinical settings to address these concerns.

4. Expect

ations Among Non-Users

When physicians who responded "would like to utilize in the future" were asked about their impressions of data obtained from wearable devices such as smartwatches:

• "Useful": 26%

• "Can be utilized if accuracy is sufficient": 41%

This showed that approximately 70% of physicians feel usefulness for clinical practice. While accuracy verification is a prerequisite for practical application,this indicates certain expectations.

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EXPECTATIONS FROM PATIENT ORGANIZATIONS

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Regarding these physician survey results, we received the following comments from Ms. Makiko Matsuyama, Representative Director of NPO HAEJ (Hereditary Angioedema

Patient Organization):

"For many patients, utilizing wearable devices such as smartwatches that can objectively record and share physical condition changes is an important means connecting to protecting lives and leading healthier lives with less discomfort. Particularly during physician consultations, being able to share records of small attacks and severity that are easily forgotten daily can make consultations more meaningful and is expected to improve to more appropriate treatment. We actually share attack record data during consultations, which is well received by many physicians. Being able to share reliable records is tangibly useful for physicians as well.

Additionally, we operate as a patient organization for HAE (hereditary angioedema),and since HAE is one disease where attack signs are difficult to read, if tendencies for attack likelihood can be understood even slightly from daily vital and sleep data, we can prepare for attacks, which is also useful for improving various aspects of QOL, so we have high expectations for the usefulness of future wearable device utilization in clinical practice.

I sincerely hope that technological evolution will be useful for better medicine going forward and will also contribute to improving patient QOL."

This suggests growing expectations for patients and physicians to jointly utilize data to understand health status.

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COMMENT FROM TECHDOCTOR CEO KAZUMICHI MINATO

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"The fact that 70% of physicians show positive attitudes toward smartwatch data utilization is a result suggesting the future spread of digital healthcare.
Particularly noteworthy is that expectations are increasing not just for data collection but for specific medical utilization such as diagnostic support and early detection of disease risk.

We aim to create new insights (digital biomarkers) by applying AI and machine learning to collected daily data and giving it medical meaning. For example, we believe it becomes possible to realize more personalized medicine by capturing disease signs from daily activity data or monitoring changes after medication more carefully.

Meanwhile, physicians have pointed out that data accuracy verification and development of medical institution reception systems are important challenges.

At TechDoctor, we will work on building both medical evidence and ease of use in actual clinical settings while collaborating with medical institutions and research institutions.

By appropriately implementing the power of digital and AI in medical settings,we aim to reduce the burden on healthcare workers while enabling patients themselves to understand their health status through daily data, contributing to improving QOL (quality of life). Through continuous monitoring, we will continue to advance toward realizing future medicine that overcomes the 'inability to understand each other' between healthcare workers and patients."

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ABOUT TECHDOCTOR'S INITIATIVES

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TechDoctor specializes in developing "digital biomarkers" that add medical interpretation to data obtained from wearable devices such as smartwatches. We support the development of such indicators while also working on implementation support for medical and healthcare services and program medical devices (SaMD) utilizing them.

We will continue to support appropriate data utilization in medical settings, aiming to realize medicine beneficial to both patients and healthcare workers.

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ABOUT TECHDOCTOR INC.

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Company Name: TechDoctor Inc.

Website: https://www.technology-doctor.com/

Founded: June 21, 2019

Location: Kyobashi Ed-Grand 4F, 2-2-1 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

CEO: Kazumichi Minato

Business: Development and operation of digital biomarker development platform

"SelfBase," provision of digital medical solutions

Apple Watch is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the United States and

other countries.