The accelerated growth and uptake of smart wearables in the healthcare industry present significant opportunities for improving patient outcomes and enhancing the efficiency of healthcare service delivery. With the rise of smart wearables in healthcare, users are exposed to risks such as data breaches and unauthorized data access, necessitating robust privacy frameworks. This study seeks to establish a balance on how users’ privacy can be upheld while leveraging the innovative capabilities of smart wearables. This study adopted the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Protocol, using four databases; ScienceDirect, Springer, PubMed and IEEE. Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria. The results show that the vast amounts of private healthcare data collected by wearable devices are often stored in cloud-based platforms, which are vulnerable to cyberattacks and data breaches. Encryption and anonymization techniques are frequently mentioned as solutions, but their implementation is inconsistent. By confronting the dual requirement of protecting privacy and promoting innovation, this study contributes to the body of knowledge by providing a unified, multi-faceted conceptual framework for the management and implementation of smart wearables.