Medicine on the Move: Wearable devices supply health-care providers with the data and insights necessary to diagnose medical issues and create optimal treatment plans [Special Reports]

This is an age of mobility. Phones, tablets, notebook computers, smart watches, and various other devices now supply people around the world with instant communication capabilities that were only dreamed of a generation ago. Mobility technologies are also transforming medicine, helping to improve the quality of care for people at all stages of life, giving both patients and healthcare providers deeper, more accurate insights into various medical conditions. An emerging generation of mobile and often wearable medical devices, enabled by sensors and signal processing, allow caregivers to noninvasively probe deeply inside the human body. The technologies are designed to analyze physical processes in real time and/or over defined periods to treat current conditions, detect hidden problems, and provide custom tailored treatment regimens.