How Smartwatches Are Used for "Health Management"
Survey Results: Wearable Device Usage Among Patients with Diseases
- Survey of 601 Users: Data Utilization Status and Challenges -
Approximately 70% are positive about using wearable devices for disease management,but generational differences exist in data sharing with physicians
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TechDoctor Inc. (CEO: Kazumichi Minato, Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; hereinafter "TechDoctor") conducted a survey of 601 wearable device users with diseases to understand the current status and challenges of data utilization.
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 wearable device users with diseases to understand the specific utilization status and future possibilities in medical settings, following a survey of physicians.
*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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• Approximately 70% of patients are positive about clinical use of wearable devices (30% with usage experience, 40% interested)
• Usage experience varies by specialty: internal medicine and cardiology have experience, while orthopedics and psychiatry show expectations
• 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
• The most common concern is "measurement accuracy"
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SURVEY OVERVIEW
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Survey Period: November 6, 2025 (Thursday)
Valid Responses: 601 samples for main survey
Survey Method: Internet research
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KEY FINDINGS
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1. 20-50% of users utilize devices for "disease information recording and management"
The survey revealed that the most common purpose for viewing wearable devices was "to manage activity levels (steps, calories burned, etc.)" at 56.9% overall.
Steps and calories burned appear to have become established as "the most familiar health indicators" for many users.
Meanwhile, 20-50% of respondents use devices for purposes such as "checking changes in physical condition like heart rate and blood pressure," "recording disease progression and symptom changes," and "using for treatment management (hospital visits, medication)," revealing that wearable devices are widely penetrating as disease management tools.
2. Approximately 1 in 2 people check wearable device data "almost every day"
52.9% of respondents check data "almost every day." Including those who check "several times a week," approximately 80% habitually check data daily, revealing that many people routinely review their data.
3. Approximately 3 in 4 people feel that wearable device data is "helpful"
72.6% of respondents feel that wearable device data is "helpful" for disease management, combining "very helpful" (29.0%) and "somewhat helpful" (43.6%).
This suggests that many users have a tangible sense of utilizing daily data on heart rate, sleep, activity levels, etc., as "clues to understanding their physical condition changes."
4. Generational differences in "sharing wearable device data with physicians" revealed
This survey revealed significant generational differences in the behavior of sharing wearable device data with physicians. Among those in their 20s-40s, approximately 50% in each generation responded that they "regularly share" or "share only when physical condition changes," showing an attitude of actively utilizing data.
In contrast, among those aged 50 and above, "have never shared and don't feel the need" was the most common response, with this proportion exceeding 50% among those aged 60 and above. This reveals that older generations have higher psychological barriers to sharing data with medical institutions and have not yet reached the point of sharing behavior.
Furthermore, voices saying "want to share but don't know how" and "want to share but physicians show no interest" were seen to some extent across all generations, suggesting that "clearly presenting sharing methods" and "creating receptive systems on the healthcare side" are needed to promote data utilization.
5. Most common concern is "measurement accuracy"
The most commonly cited concern across all age groups was "measurement accuracy" (43.9%). This reveals that "trust in accuracy" remains a challenge in utilizing wearable device data for health management.
On the other hand, among those aged 50 and above, 29.4% (50s) and 34.8% (60s+) responded "no particular difficulties / don't feel difficulty," higher than younger generations. This suggests that older generations tend to remain in "passive use" of simply viewing automatically acquired values rather than "deeply interpreting and utilizing data."
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CONCLUSION
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This survey revealed that more users than expected want to utilize wearable devices for "disease recording and management," and that behavior of checking data daily to understand physical condition changes is widespread. However, concerns about "measurement accuracy" remain high, and particularly among older generations, there is a tendency to remain in "passive use" rather than deep utilization of data. This situation suggests that there are still challenges on both the user and healthcare sides to fully realize the value that wearable device data inherently possesses.
TechDoctor is advancing initiatives to provide digital biomarkers based on wearable device data as patient apps and physician dashboards. We will continue to improve our services and create value so that daily data can connect to "better experiences" where people can understand their own condition and connect to medical care when necessary.
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RELATED SURVEY
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Survey of 400 Physicians on Smartwatch Utilization: Reality and Possibilities
https://www.technology-doctor.com/news/20250417
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ABOUT TECHDOCTOR INC.
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TechDoctor Inc. operates under the vision "Towards an era where data improves well-being," developing and promoting social implementation of "digital biomarkers**" that derive health-related insights from daily sensing data collected by wearable devices and other means. We aim to realize AI-driven medicine based on data in collaboration with medical, pharmaceutical, food-related companies, and research institutions.
CEO: Kazumichi Minato
Chief Medical Officer: Keisuke Izumi
Headquarters: Kyobashi Ed-Grand 4F, 2-2-1 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Founded: June 21, 2019
Business: Development and operation of digital biomarker development platform
"SelfBase," provision of digital medical solutions
URL: https://www.technology-doctor.com/
** About Digital Biomarkers
Digital biomarkers are indicators for continuously and objectively evaluating the presence or absence of disease, changes in disease status, and treatment effects based on daily biometric data obtained from smartphones, wearable devices, and other sources.
While traditional biomarkers were primarily "point data" measured temporarily at medical institutions, digital biomarkers are characterized by the ability to continuously acquire "line data" from daily life. Based on indicators such as exercise, sleep, and heart rate, they are expected to be used for early disease detection, treatment monitoring, and as new endpoints in drug development.
Development has been progressing overseas since around 2019, and attention is also increasing in Japan.