Why Wearables? Our Experts Explain

What are wearable monitoring devices in the context of orthopedic care?

Joseph Schwab, MD, MS: Most of us are already familiar with wearables, such as phones or watches, that track our motion. But those have limitations. We're designing advanced technologies that use machine-learning algorithms to give us less subjective data we can incorporate into the EHR. We want to get a better picture of what may be happening with individual patients' musculoskeletal and neuromuscular health.

Hamid Ghaednia, PhD: The majority of wearables use motion tracking or accelerometers. The challenge with current motion-tracking systems is that they give us an indirect measurement of muscle activity. These systems make lots of general assumptions about human bodies, even though every body is different. Those assumptions get baked into the resulting data. Our center is focused on direct measurement of muscle movement-wearables that will give us quantitative insights about patients' progress and changes in clinical conditions.

How would this data complement the other information physicians are trying to capture in the EHR?

JS: One thing lacking in clinical medicine right now is a real-time understanding of our neuromuscular system. Patient history and physical exam-along with data from MRI, ultrasound and muscle biopsy-are critical, but they're static and don't tell us much about what's happening during real-time activity. Wearables have tremendous potential to open up a whole new era in our understanding of muscle physiology.

How can this intelligence benefit patients?

HG: Dr. Schwab started using artificial intelligence to predict mortality of the spinal column 15 years ago, when no one was implementing these kinds of decision-support systems. As a result, now we can predict mortality of spine oncology patients, which empowers us to make better and more objective decisions. Four years ago, we decided to take this to a new level by integrating machine learning with novel devices and wearables. When we focus on wearables as one critical component of a more systematic approach to patient care, we see remarkable leaps forward in our diagnostic and treatment abilities.

Why is Cedars-Sinaithe ideal place for this work?

JS:Cedars-Sinaiis a top-flight research institution that matches its world-class clinical reputation. Worldwide, there are very few centers developing wearables and biomedical devices within a hospital setting, which makes this place truly unique.