Clinic in Basel examines ECG from the Apple Watch
For 20 francs, you can have the Basel Wearable Clinic analyze what the Apple Watch is spitting out. But this should only be a first step.
Website der Basel Wearable Clinic.
(Image: Basel Wearable Clinic)
Since the Series 4 from 2018, the Apple Watch has included a 1-channel ECG. This should make it possible to detect atrial fibrillation. However, the feature also provides a more detailed report: In the Health app on the iPhone, you can find the cardiogram, which you can also bring to your doctor. A Swiss hospital is now offering to have the data from the Apple Watch analyzed by professionals - for a fixed price.
Send in ECG and have it analyzed
The project is part of the Wearable Clinic in Basel, which belongs to the university hospital there. The ECG extract should also make it possible to diagnose other forms of cardiac arrhythmia such as heart stumbling, palpitations or an irregular pulse – and not just the warning of atrial fibrillation. Although the Apple Watch can issue certain "heart health notifications", including irregularities in rhythm and too high or too low a pulse, the 1-lead ECGs produced must be evaluated by a doctor.
The Wearable Clinic is staffed by doctors and technicians from the electrophysiology team who are "leading experts in the field of cardiac arrhythmias", explained the university hospital. "After sending the ECG, you will receive a written report with a specialist interpretation of the ECG and a recommendation for the next steps," the information reads. Of course, heart attacks or strokes cannot be detected or predicted, in which case you should urgently call an emergency service.
Other devices also supported
The analysis currently costs 20 Swiss francs, which must be paid online. The Wearable Clinic is also researching the topic – work has already been published there on the accuracy of detecting atrial fibrillation using a smartwatch and the usefulness of automatic interval measurements using a single-channel ECG. The data is stored on a server in Switzerland and is not passed on to third parties.
In addition to the Apple Watch, the Wearable Clinic also supports other devices. These include specific ECG meters such as the AliveCor Kardia Mobile, as well as Fitbit Sense, Withings Scanwatch, Galaxy Watch from Samsung and "other brands and models" that can output an ECG file report as a PDF.
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