The session, like many others of the day, drew a large crowd.

The session, like many others of the day, drew a large crowd.

As our ability to monitor almost everything we do increases with wearables like FitBits and Apple Watches, technology companies and health care leaders alike are considering how the tremendous amount of data collected by these devices could be leveraged to improve health care delivery. During a panel discussion, BWHC Chief Medical Information Officer for Health Information, Innovation & Integration Adam Landman, MD, MS, MIS, MHS, noted that a great deal of analysis is still required. “We need real clinical trials to validate that these sensors measure what they say they are measuring, and we need to determine if they are of value in a clinical setting. That will require FDA approval and time.” He also emphasized that how the data is displayed to providers will be a key factor in whether it is useful to them. “We need ways to summarize the data and highlight what’s important, so that clinicians can quickly see and share this information with a patient during an appointment,” he said, noting that clinicians cannot comb through weeks’ worth of data to find the important points. Proper interface and display “will help make or break these tools for providers.” Boston Business Journal health care reporter Jessica Bartlett moderated.