Integration of Wearable Devices in Healthcare: The Need to Examine Their Implications for Health Workers
摘要
Despite a continuous increase in the use of wearable devices in healthcare to support remote health monitoring, knowledge about the implications of these technologies for health workers is scarce. Given that health workers are among the most valuable and scarce resources within health systems, protecting their health, safety, and well-being should be a major priority. It is therefore important to have a thorough understanding of the ways in which health workers may be impacted by the increased use of wearable devise technologies. In turn, this information could be used to prevent or mitigate possible negative implications for workers’ working conditions, health, and well-being. In this chapter, we provide a brief overview of wearable devices used in healthcare, distinguishing between those used by patients and those used by health providers. We also review potential implications of the use of these devices for health workers’ employment and working conditions and formulate several research, practice, and policy recommendations.