Two hundred fifty thousand measurements per day, 80% and higher accurate measurements saving people’s lives already — is wearable technology in healthcare a secret ingredient to our longevity? Let’s find about the empowering opportunities humanity can seize with innovative tech solutions.
What is Wearable Health Technology?
Any portable devices such as smartwatches, body patches, ear wearables, headbands, smart clothes, or smart glasses — are wearable devices.
These devices are devised to track, gather, and monitor users' health data from step counts and calories burned to heart rate, glucose level, stress, sweat levels, and even oxygen saturation level, aiming to provide continuous and accurate health results to boost patients treatment.
What Was The First Wearable Technology in Healthcare?
The first device being implanted and worn by patients was a pacemaker for people struggling with arrhythmia in 1958. Since then, technological advances lead to the development of smart devices operating as “minicomputers” and enabling long-term and remote monitoring of patients in any place and any time.
Wearable Fitness Trackers
The first mass portable device conquering the market of sport-oriented and health conscious audiences. Fitness trackers were formerly designed to help monitor step counts, calories burned, and heart rate, followed by fitness recommendations.
Smart Health Watches
This device took wristbands that could only count steps to a new level. Today, smartphones are considered a practical medical tool, offering a varied number of functions, including heart rhythms measurements.
Wearable ECG Monitors
Specifically designed healthcare IT solutions for users with heart conditions, these devices can measure electrocardiograms and instantly send the accurate results to the user’s doctor.
Wearable Blood Pressure Monitors
An oscillometric BP smart monitor that can examine blood pressure as well as everyday body activity. This enables the devices to track and examine the correlation between daily activity and blood pressure measurements.
Biosensors
An amazing device improving preventive health care, as a self-adhesive patch, can track and store data continuously and alert about the possible cardiac or respiratory arrests.
Wearable Sweat-Sensors
By examining sweat levels, such devices can alert about possible seizures and send notifications to a person’s device as well as their doctor.
Why Wearable Technology in Healthcare is Important?
Facing the consequences of the 2020 pandemic of COVID-19, medical researchers are working towards boosting remote patient care as never before.
Portable technology enables practitioners to receive relevant and accurate data instantly and take action quicker. The smart devices help with early detection of health problems that, in turn, results in better patient treatment.
Significant Impact of Wearable Technology in Healthcare
The population is aging. This is our reality. Wearables are better at predicting death risks when dealing with older adults — and this is our hope. One of the most common issues older adults have to face regularly is health problems due to falling.
Luckily, portable devices can help examine body activity and offer effective fall prevention suggestions. Detection of heat strokes, mental status monitoring, prevention of sudden arrhythmic death with wearable cardioverter defibrillator — it’s already happening.
All the innovative portable devices provide easier monitoring of risks that can possibly threaten the lives of patients, as with the help of the technology, various parameters can be quickly and flawlessly examined (heart rate, oxygen saturation, body temperature, blood pressure, etc.)
Examples of Healthcare Interoperability Challenges That Can Be Solved with the Wearable Technology
One of the key benefits of portable devices is to ensure continuous patient care instead of an episodic one.
All the data that can be stored and examined via wristbands, headbands, patches, and other smart wear can help overcome many virtual and physical challenges medical care faces daily.
Here are just a few examples of how innovative tech solutions can deal with the most common obstacles. One of the challenges includes patient identification that is undoubtedly crucial when it comes to treatment. In the USA alone, 10 out of 17 medical error deaths occur due to the patient's inability to identify correctly. However, as suggested by Heartlands Hospital in the UK, this issue can be easily solved if all the patients had Radio Frequency Identification wristbands.
Another vital challenge novice doctors have always faced is the lack of practical knowledge instead of theoretical. Though, with the help of Google Augmented Reality Glass, a student from any part of the world can be present at real operations streamed online and learn from the best doctors.
Finally, portable devices like smart glasses, wristbands, and other tiny devices connected to a huge database will enable effective collaboration between medical institutions. This, in turn, will significantly boost patient care, as doctors will have access to patient’s records at any place and at any time.
Benefits of Wearable Technology in Healthcare
Significant cost reduction per patient
With the latest technology, patients won’t have to visit doctors as much as before, as lots of diagnoses can be made online, and the data from wearables will be enough.
Alleviating staff workload
Instant access to patient’s data, the ability to collaborate with patient’s doctors from various institutions, and no need to insert data manually can be possible, all thanks to portable technology.
Improved diagnosis
A tiny device attached to a person tracking, collecting, and monitoring the results continuously, can provide doctors with more accurate info rather than patients' guesswork. In turn, this will help to make a better diagnosis.
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Imagine a flu season when tons of citizens are rushing to hospitals, suspecting they have the flu. A portable device connected to a personal device can alert an individual about unwanted body activity and prevent epidemics by sending data to a united city/country database.
Faster clinical decision making
With smart sensors, any emergency can be detected as soon as it occurred, saving time to save a life.
Overall boost of patient care
The benefits of portable devices are all aimed at improving patient care. With the abundance of functions emerging daily, the opportunities are endless.
Keeping patients engaged
Patients can be continuously informed and alerted about their health conditions. This, in turn, will help individuals to monitor their health regularly and motivate them to take action.
The Future of Wearable Technology in Healthcare
A recent study predicted that portable technology global sales would reach approximately $62,82 billion by 2050.
Consumers are believed to be more and more comfortable with wearing devices to track their body activities.
The quickest regions to adapt to changes and employ portable devices' tech solutions will include North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific region.
Wearable Health Tracking Technology Issues Still to Overcome
Undoubtedly, the major tech companies' two main issues are data protection and measurement accuracy. Patients are concerned about their personal data being securely collected and stored.
Plus, despite the accuracy of most devices being 80% and higher, it’s still not enough to convince all the people to rely on technology completely.
What Are the Key Wearable Technology Trends in Healthcare?
Needless to say that the aging population is one of the crucial factors influencing the latest tech solutions and software development in medical field. While smartwatches were first designed as a fun and futuristic devices, the tech moguls are thinking about entering the health space by offering disease-specific features to detect a problem with the utmost accuracy. For instance, a smartwatch designed by Empatica, Embrace 2, can detect an epileptic seizure by examining the sweat level.
What is more, while fitness trackers were on fleek for quite a long period, their popularity is declining, as smartwatches are booming thanks to making common features like step counts and calories burn more accurate and offer innovative functions like non-invasive glucose monitoring and fall detection.
Eyewear technology continues to pave its way into the latest trends by broadening medical training and assistance horizons, all thanks to virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). Surprisingly, the competition is getting pretty rough with newcomers entering the field, such as Epson, Magical Leap, and Medical Realities.
A dark horse of wearable health technology is hearables. Formerly designed to enhance hearing, now the ear-worn devices offer a considerably huge number of functions: heart rate monitoring, sleep examination, steps count, calories burn count, and even brain wave analysis - this is all just a tip of the iceberg.
Finally, smart clothing and skin patches are starting to prosper in the field of healthcare. It’s not surprising, as 10% of people will already be wearing smart garments by 2025. It’s the new fashion and the revolutionizing way to boost patient care when constant monitoring is required.
Wearable Technology Health and Fitness: Apps and Devices That Are Already Booming
The portable technology has already weaved itself into people’s lives, changing the way we see health care and keeping fit regularly. Below you’ll find just a few technologies that are currently booming, and their number will only be rising.
1. AVA
Uncannily accurate portable helping to track women’s health, including fertility, pregnancy, weight and sleep monitoring, as well as stress examination. The recent studies confirmed its accuracy of fertility prediction to be 89%.
2. KardioMobile
An electrocardiogram (ECG) designed by AliveCor to track and diagnose heart issues. It can be attached to the back of the iPhone and Android mobile devices to monitor heart activity through chest and finger sensors to the mobile itself. Keeping an eye on heart conditions has become a manageable daily routine.
3. PIP
A lifesaver for the population being under stress all the time. A teeny device is designed to monitor your level of stress and help you calm down when needed. The device is doing so by examining the changes in your electrodermal activity and then sends the signals to your mobile app.
4. Withings Blood Pressure
Checking your heart and examining your blood pressure as accurately as your doctor will do. The secret is that the blood pressure monitor performs three measurements to provide the average and the most accurate results. Plus, the monitor sends the info via Bluetooth to the app on your phone.
5. TempTraq
A revolutionizing digital thermometer. It has a form of a soft and comfortable patch that can be adjusted to the body up to 48 hours to continuously monitor the temperature. What is more, it’s connected to your mobile device to send alerts and notifications. It’s gaining its massive popularity among parents, as it’s easy to measure a child's temperature without disrupting a kid while manually and stressfully taking it several times.
6. BioScarf
As relevant as never before - the first scarf to protect from pollution, allergy, cold, and flu. This Bioscarf has an air filter incorporated in it. The filter will protect the wearer from the majority of airborne contaminants having a bad effect on their health.
7. Philips SmartSleep
Philips has designed a Headband to boost the quality of deep sleep. It was developed by doctors and researchers to help people struggling with sleep problems. Thanks to the sensors, the headband monitors the body activity during different sleep stages and then sends this info to a mobile app. The app will then show you the metrics and provide suggestions to make your sleep better.
The future is truly exciting — wearable technology in healthcare is just another evidence that IT solutions are shaping our world already to make it a better place to live.
We empower companies and their workforce with cutting-edge transformative solutions and data-driven insights. Are you and your organization ready to shift the mindsets and get the most out of innovations?
Talk to our experts and find out more about the topic and how your business or project can start benefiting from it today!
The hospitality industry depends a lot on keeping customers happy, but it’s getting harder to attract and keep them. The pandemic hit this industry hard, and now market competition is tougher than ever, with competitive offerings swaying customers. Hospitality businesses are willing to spend big to win customers back. The main questions for many are: how can we stay ahead of the competition, keep our customers, and increase revenue? Keep reading—we’ve got some answers.
Customers today have so many options that getting their attention is a real challenge. It’s not easy to make them choose your business over others. What worked 10 years ago doesn’t work the same way now. Back then, people often chose businesses based on reputation. But with new types of businesses (boutique hotels, craft cafes) popping up or big enterprises getting a new strategy, expectations have changed. The good news is these businesses have shown what works: great customer service. They focus on personalizing the experience, making things easy for customers, offering loyalty programs, and using smart technology.
In this article, we’ll explore these tech strategies and show you how they can help your business grow, and double the revenue. Keep reading to learn more!
The Importance of Customer Satisfaction in the Hospitality Industry
Customer satisfaction, which equals exceptional customer experience, is the backbone of the hospitality industry. It plays a central role in driving revenue and loyalty, as satisfied customers are more likely to return and recommend a hotel, restaurant, or other hospitality business to others. In fact, a study by the Harvard Business Review found that a 1% increase in customer satisfaction can lead to a 0.5% increase in revenue. Moreover, loyal customers are more likely to forgive mistakes and continue doing business with a company, even if they experience a negative encounter.
Let's quickly review the challenges the hospitality industry is facing right now so we can move on to the solutions and our case studies.
Challenges in Hospitality
As businesses navigate the changes in the hospitality industry, there are some key areas where a little improvement can go a long way. From improving customer service to embracing digital transformation and tackling labor shortages, we’ll take a closer look at today’s biggest challenges—and, more importantly, how technology can step in to help. Let’s get started!
Poor Customer Service
Even with strong and high-quality business offerings, poor customer service can drive potential customers and existing customers away. Common issues include:
Long wait times in customer service queues (it is worth remembering that our attention spans 8 seconds, and we live in a very busy world, so quick and efficient responses are more important than ever.)
Poorly trained customer service representatives
Lack of follow-up
Services not being done properly or quickly
Recall issues that require multiple service calls
These problems can frustrate customers. But, at Intellectsoft, we believe that the right approach, combined with technology, can address them effectively.
Digital Transformation Gaps
Approximately 50% of hotels are adopting new technologies, with 43% automating repetitive tasks and 39% upgrading existing systems. Source: workstaff.app
While many businesses are adopting digital solutions, some still struggle with outdated systems and fragmented data. Legacy companies often face chaos when trying to manage their data and create new systems or add features.
Some of the recent examples include clients coming to us to create AI solutions for their services while their data simply was not ready for the advanced tasks. We advise stepping back, communicating with a company objective, and working on keeping the data clean (centralized, structured, and segmented).
When we’re asked to create advanced systems using AI, we always emphasize the importance of organized data. To train AI and build such complicated systems that truly work, you need to start from the very beginning—collecting, storing, centralizing, and organizing it. We encourage our clients to align all departments to work internally on the data so we can create a unified digital system that delivers personalized experiences.
If you’re unsure where to start with your data, we can help. Collecting feedback at various touchpoints along the customer journey is crucial for gaining insights into customer satisfaction and loyalty. Book an IT consultation with us, and our experts will guide you in mapping out a path to get more from your data and build a system that works for your business and team.
Reskilling Staff
The pandemic hit hard in early 2020, especially for the hospitality and travel industries. Even five years later, many businesses are still feeling the impact. Recruiting and retaining skilled staff has become a major challenge post-pandemic.
Reskilling to address technology’s impact is of utmost importance, as about 40% of hotel General Managers place it among their top three workforce challenges.
We strongly believe that adopting the right technology can help. For example, creating an app to train your staff not only saves time but also ensures consistency in learning. AI assistants can also work alongside your team, helping with tasks like recruitment (providing industry insights, crafting emails) and staff training. Imagine having an app dedicated to making your team’s work easier and more efficient!
How Technology Tackles These Challenges and Supports a Customer-Centric Hospitality Culture
Automation, AI, and similar technologies may threaten many. However, the debate about replacing humans isn’t about that—it’s about cooperation and working hand in hand with technology to achieve the highest standards and establish brand-new “golden standards.” Technology is here to assist staff in listening to and collecting customer insights from data.
Let’s review some of our cases to see examples of how technology helps improve customer experience and supports customer service.
Examples of Intellectsoft projects
Property management systems (PMS)
We created a web platform and mobile app that makes managing daily tasks easier and offers extra services to improve residents’ experience. It gives a clear overview of daily activities and helps with managing units and users. Residents can easily book amenities, submit service requests, and report incidents. The platform also includes features for equipment management, key instructions, workflows, and custom permissions. This makes it easier for staff to stay on top of equipment and ensure residents have all the information they need. Plus, tools like announcements, quick votes, a forum, and a community calendar help build a connected and engaged community.
Guest Experience Management App
Our next app helped our client improve their guest experience by replacing printed marketing materials and the need for phone calls with a smart solution. Now, guests can easily order in-room dining, make reservations, and interact with staff— through a simple tablet in their room. The solution includes three parts: a custom in-room tablet with a variety of services, an admin panel for hotel staff and service providers, and a backend system that connects everything together. This approach makes things easier for guests and staff, improving both convenience and efficiency.
Existing Customers First: Building Loyalty with Personalized Touchpoints
Keeping existing customers is not just a strategy; it’s well-known that retaining existing customers is more cost-effective than acquiring new ones. In fact, research shows that it costs five times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one. KPMG named customer retention as the number one revenue driver for the company.
Moreover, a 5% increase in customer retention can lead to a 25% to 95% increase in profits, showing the significant impact loyal customers can have on a business’s bottom line. Retention strategies, like personalized experiences and loyalty programs, can foster long-term relationships and generate recurring revenue, ultimately making them an invaluable part of any business model.
Personalization: How Technology Can Help?
Everyone loves to feel special—it’s part of being human. In hospitality, personalization has evolved from being a luxury to an essential standard. With the right technology to manage your data effectively, you can deliver those “wow” moments that guests won’t forget.
More than half of hotel chains are already using personalization features on their websites, booking platforms, and apps, and another 39% are planning to follow suit soon. They’re tailoring experiences to fit guest preferences perfectly.
Source: Deloitte
How does technology make it happen?
CRM Systems: They help you keep track of guest preferences, booking history, and special requests so you can offer services tailored just for them.
Loyalty Programs: Personalized rewards and offers show your guests that you value them, keeping them coming back for more.
AI Personalization: AI analyzes guest data to predict what they’ll love (from room upgrades to local recommendations) before they even ask.
IoT Gadgets: Smart room features like voice-activated assistants, or temperature controls adjust to your guests’ preferences, making their stay more comfortable.
With tech-powered personalization, you’re building loyalty and maximizing the lifetime value of every customer.
Our Case Study: Smart Hotel Management & Loyalty Program
For one of our clients, we created a smart room solution, complete with a custom IoT system. Guests can use a mobile app to control services, explore amenities, and find resort information-- with a special touch to their suite type. For the client’s entertainment business, we improved their legacy software by running a full IT and code check, fixing issues, and making the system better for customers.
Along with that, we developed a mobile app for the loyalty program, allowing businesses to effortlessly reward their customers and keep them engaged with exclusive benefits.
Our solutions not only helped the client with special experiences for guests; it also improved operations, cutting costs by eliminating inefficiencies. Here's what our experts shared:
"We transitioned away from ESB (Enterprise Service Bus) systems, which previously cost millions, and replaced them with more efficient, self-managed solutions. Similarly, we’ve implemented Device Farms that improved operations and saved resources."
Leveraging Software to Increase Upsell Opportunities
Here are some examples of tech tactics that will help your team sell more and introduce new offerings to existing customers, improve overall efficiency leaving your team grateful:
Dynamic Pricing Algorithms
For finance and marketing teams, manually calculating pricing by segment to introduce your clients can be incredibly challenging. AI-powered tools can strongly optimize these strategies by analyzing your database in detail.
Upselling via Apps
Boosting revenue in the hospitality business often comes down to personalized experiences. Imagine this: a guest books a room, and then your app suggests a spa package or a room upgrade at just the right moment. Later, it nudges them to book a dinner reservation or a guided tour designed to their preferences. With apps offering these personalized recommendations during and after bookings, you’re not just increasing your revenue per guest but also skyrocketing their experience. And you do it in a sustainable way, not by speculating, but by offering what your customers desire based on their previous experiences. It’s a win-win: seamless, helpful, and far from pushy.
Inventory and Resource Management Software
Making every resource count in your hospitality business is key. Inventory and resource management software allows you to effortlessly track everything from linens to room availability, ensuring nothing goes to waste. Having real-time insights to reduce overstock, avoid shortages, and optimize operations assists sustainably keep everything under control and know what you need to focus more. It helps maximize room occupancy by aligning bookings with available resources, ensuring every room and item is used effectively. This approach leads to smarter management, better guest experiences, and a noticeable boost to your bottom line.
Adopting these strategies not only optimizes your operations but also drives business growth. Ready to discover how technology can elevate your goals? We’re here to create a tailored solution for you.
Steps For Implementing a Customer Service Technology Solution
Improving customer service in hospitality doesn’t have to be a daunting task. With the right technology, you can smooth the path of your operations, speed up response times, and elevate the overall guest experience. Here’s where you can make it happen:
1. Understand Your Needs
Start by identifying the challenges your business is facing. Are you struggling to manage high volumes of inquiries, track customer feedback, or personalize the guest experience? Pinpointing your needs will guide you to the best solutions.
2. Pick the Right Tools
Choose technology that aligns with your goals. Look for solutions that are scalable, easy to use, and integrate effortlessly with your current systems. Options like CRM software, live chat tools, or a guest experience app can make a difference.
3. Equip Your Team
Technology is only as effective as the people using it. Train your staff to make the most of the new tools, so they can deliver exceptional service and resolve issues quickly. Confident, well-equipped staff creates happy, loyal customers.
4. Keep Improving
Once implemented, monitor how well the solution works. Are response times improving? Are customers more satisfied? Regular evaluations will help you fine-tune your approach and keep things running harmoniously.
Some Tech Ideas for Hospitality Businesses
CRM Software: Manage customer interactions and preferences.
Guest Experience Apps: Delight guests with personalized experiences right at their fingertips.
Amenity Management Systems: Simplify operations for everything from room service to facility bookings.
Live Chat Tools: Offer instant support and answers.
Social Media Management Tools: Keep customer interactions engaging and organized.
Integrating these strategies will not only improve your customer service but also deliver unforgettable customer satisfaction, loyalty, and, ultimately, your bottom line. Ready to take the next step? Book a consultation with our experts.
Conclusion
To wrap up everything we've discussed, customer satisfaction and experience are at the heart of hospitality. Retaining customers is more than just keeping them around—building strong, long-lasting relationships and consistently meeting their evolving needs. By understanding their pain points and offering personalized solutions, you can inspire loyalty and drive progress. With the right technology and continuous improvement, your business can stay ahead, let go of what no longer serves you, and keep growing.
At Intellectsoft, with over 17 years of experience in software development, our expert team is ready to help. We create everything from mobile apps to full-fledged portals and systems, leveraging the latest technologies like AI, Cloud, and Machine Learning. With deep experience in the hospitality industry, we’re here to craft personalized solutions that bring your business unforgettable customer experience and retain your valuable clients.
Ready to double your revenue and level up your customer retention strategy with personalized technology? Contact our experts, and we look forward to working hand in hand with you to build or revitalize the perfect app or system for you.
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