42% of US households with broadband internet now own at least one health-related device

Connected health is a term referring to the concept of medical personnel or caregivers using electronics to remotely monitor a patient in their own home. The devices in question are getting more diverse, versatile and smart as time goes on. Their category encompasses devices like smart thermometers, wireless CPAP machine and clinical-grade wearables of various kinds.

On that note, connected health may also come to benefit from smartwatches or smart bands that boast increasingly accurate, "medical-grade" health- and fitness-tracking sensors as selling points. Devices such as these are of more interest to consumers as a result. A recent study of US high-speed internet households found that 28% of the respondents owned at least 1 wearable for connected health, whereas 42% had a connected-health device of any description.

This survey also resulted in findings that connected fitness machines are also getting more popular, as is "smart sleep" and dedicated connected medical tech. This may be due to a general shift in preferences toward health- and fitness-monitoring that can be done at home, not to mention actual care that also does not entail moving to a medical facility.

The trend may have been driven by widespread changes in medical treatment practices and policies mandated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Dedicated companies such as Electronic Caregiver may find that customers are now more accepting of a smart "health home" that relates to current consumer-grade offerings.