A VA program is testing how smartwatches can be used as a tool to help improve Veterans' health, especially when used together with Connected Care technologies. The pilot program is looking specifically at how smartwatches can help Veterans with atrial fibrillation (AFib), an irregular, and often rapid, heart rate that can increase the risk of stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications.
The pilot is led by Kimberly Braswell, a nurse practitioner in the cardiology unit at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa, Florida, who helps treat Veterans with AFib. She views smart technology as an opportunity to connect with her patients and improve their care plans.
"One of the greatest powers of mobile technology is that it empowers patients to feel engaged and in control of their health care."
