Fitbit listened to its female consumers recently, finally coming out with a female-centric fitness tracker the Fitbit Alta. Smartwatch company Mira Mira told Racked its recent winning design choice to disguise a tracker as jewelry came from nationwide interviews with women. But because companies are just now taking steps toward appeasing female consumers, there's a large portion of people whose needs aren't getting attention at all.
Currently, big pharmaceutical companies are using wearables for more than 299 clinical trials according to the
“The people in at-risk communities are used to researchers coming in for a year then disappearing or coming in and asking them questions, then giving them a gift card and leaving,” she says. “What’s important is staying power. It’s not an easy answer.”
Public Health Institute’s Iana Simeonov says does not get taken into consideration by wearables creators is that for many populations, people don’t even know health is important—let alone that a wearable could help them. Simeonov’s study showed that California Latinos have among the highest rates of obesity and each participant said the wearable devices motivated them to increase their activity but only if they received thorough training and ongoing support among other things.
“Folks with privilege—we’ve had the privilege of having these behaviors reinforced but quite often, communities of color lack resources,” she says. “We should all be looking at how we can make sure that this technology can be used in the education system or within recreation centers and communities centers so that we don’t have it advancing so far with people left behind.”
For companies and stakeholders looking to make a profit without intervening in health-promoting behaviors, they run the risk of losing customers and business. “We all have to think about how can we promote positive health behaviors so we see the viability of these wearables,” she says. “How do we reinforce this technology where these communities go so it’s not, ‘Oh crap, everybody has a wearable, now we have to start with the education and promotion campaign?’”
A recent study showed that in early wearable app development, the lack of identifying the user scenarios resulted in too much focus on technology and neglecting the users. “In order to succeed in the technology market, you have to pair technology with a specific use case to trigger the adoption of the technology,” Al Baker, CEO of Reemo said. “You've really got to focus on who is going to get the most value out of your product today and then worry about becoming a platform alongside its growth.”
It’s in manufacturers best interest to include these communities because the "two or more races" population is projected to be the fastest growing over the next few years according to the 2020 Census. By 2020, the majority of the US will be people of color, a rise from the 38 percent in 2014.
By engaging at-risk populations, businesses have an opportunity to build brand loyalty Saxton-Ross says. “If companies and entrepreneurs want to come from a place of supporting healthy people that can engage with whatever system you have, you want kids to be educated so they can get good jobs, afford your technology and know about the importance of wearables.”
Such importance lies in the fact that if ever there was a technology that could draw attention to both economic and health disparity, it’s with wearables. If ever there was technology to reach the unreachable—such as Dr. Arnold in the south or Blair Palmer in third-world countries--it’s with wearables. And, if ever there was a time of urgency, it’s now.
For the first time, physicians are bearing some of the financial burdens the patients have had to carry all along. It’s a time where corporations’ survivals can depend on its employee’s health. It’s the first time where, if used, can crack a big hole in global diseases. And it’s the first time the ticket is reliant on the people who have been largely neglected in its pursuit.
Given the history of past user neglect, Saxton-Ross fears wearables going down the same path. “If you just want to insert yourself into the system, that’s fine but you’re not going to improve the connection between health and low income communities,” she says. “They would also need to look at how they can change the systems. That is where I think the innovation lies.”
This is the sixth of six-part series “The Leftovers: Why The Communities Who Could Benefit Most from Wearables Are Being Left Behind”
