The Apple Watch could predict pain in sickle cell patients
A new Apple Watch study has shown promise that Apple’s flagship wearable could be a feasible, low-cost method to help predict pain episodes related to Sickle Cell disease.
Researchers at Duke University, Northwestern University, and others have recently published a new study showing the Apple Watch as a viable method for predicting vaso-occlusive crises, or VOCs.
However, researchers argue that the data collection and unique machine learning capabilities of the Apple Watch could be used to help predict VOCs, allowing patients to get treatment before severe pain sets in.
During the study, patients wore an Apple Watch Series 3, enabling the researchers to collect 15,683 data points. These data points were then analyzed with various machine learning models. The most successful model could predict pain scores with an accuracy of 84.5%.
