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FDA qualifies Apple Watch’s AFib history for use in clinical studies
But you should still see a doctor if you’re not feeling well.
The Apple Watch’s atrial fibrillation (AFib) history feature, which records and alerts the wearer’s relevant heart events, has been qualified to join the FDA’s Medical Device Development Tools (MDDT) program — a first for a “digital health technology.” That means the Apple Watch is now usable in clinical studies that need estimated data on how much time the wearer spent in atrial fibrillation while wearing the device, 9to5Mac reports. The FDA previously granted clearance to two Apple Watch functions as a direct-to-consumer wearable device with an electrocardiogram and to notify you if you have an irregular heartbeat, starting with the Series 4 in 2018. It also specified that the apps are “not intended to replace traditional methods of diagnosis or treatment” — if you feel off or have questions, you should still rely on a real doctor.
Or read this on The Verge
