Long Covid patients have turned to fitness trackers to manage their symptoms, using the devices in ways that go beyond their original purpose. Rather than tracking fitness goals, they use the data to limit strenuous activities and conserve energy.

Self-Monitoring: A Double-Edged Sword

Assistant professor Sarah Homewood, who has researched this phenomenon, reveals that self-monitoring offers both benefits and challenges. On the one hand, it provides users with more control and certainty over their condition. However, the constant data tracking can also trigger anxiety.

Homewood’s studies, published in prominent computing conferences, found that fitness tracker users often feel empowered by their ability to track symptoms, but they also experience uneasiness when data contradicts how they feel. In one case, a participant stopped an enjoyable relaxation activity after receiving concerning stress-level data from her device.

Using Data for Better or Worse

For many, fitness trackers become a tool to manage their day-to-day lives with long Covid. Patients check heart rates to avoid overexertion or decide on daily activities based on the steps tracked. Yet, Homewood warns that the data from fitness trackers isn’t always medically accurate, which can mislead users.

Some doctors reject fitness data outright, while others use it to help diagnose or track symptoms. The watches, though designed for fitness, can still reveal trends over time that one-off doctor visits may miss.

The Future of Wearable Technology in Healthcare

As wearable tech advances, Homewood believes there is potential for fitness trackers to bridge the gap between self-monitoring patients and their doctors. She’s collaborating with tech companies to improve software tailored for illness, rather than fitness, and develop dashboards that help healthcare professionals interpret the data.

The key takeaway: Fitness trackers can be helpful for those with long Covid, but their limitations need to be understood to prevent undue anxiety.

By optimizing wearable tech for long-term illness, patients and doctors can better collaborate, empowering users without causing harm.