Is the line between wellness and medical becoming blurred?
Abbott and Google Health recently announced their newest partnership – a combination of Abbott’s ‘Lingo’, a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) alongside Google’s AI Health Coach to assist and personalise recommendations to make more health-conscious decisions.
CGMs were originally designed for type 1 and type 2 patients with diabetes, becoming a more effective management method of monitoring spikes and falls in interstitial glucose levels. Now over time, CGMs are no longer marketed towards just the patient with diabetes. Abbott is a prime example for this shift, moving from its regulated medical device ‘Freestyle Libre’ to ‘Lingo’ - explicitly designed for users not on insulin i.e. non-diabetic patients, wishing to keep track and better understand their glucose levels as part of healthy-lifestyle monitoring.
But where does this link? And how far from medical care are these devices?
For decades, wellness always existed outside clinics. Being deeply rooted in culture, diet, exercise, sleep and other holistic methods, these heavily contrasted the clinical evidence-backed medicines found in hospital, pharmacies and doctors’ offices of today. However, we are reaching an age of intersection as medical-grade hardware is crosses over into everyday lifestyle and wellness technology. Whilst these technologies won’t be a formal diagnosis, at the rate AI is advancing, and the decline of human critical thinking, it would be fair to say they are reaching a close second and for the average user, this distinction should not become any subtler than it already is.
However, this technology is not inherently bad. For those who can afford it, it empowers users to take a ‘more proactive approach to their health’. But it is important for both users and heath tech companies to be aware of where the line is drawn. As health apps and digital platforms become increasingly sophisticated, they are far easier to access and use than traditional hardware procured by the appropriate channels. With easier accessibility comes larger risks. An app downloaded on a smartphone or biosensors you can order online and over the counter become far less intimidating than hospital-issued devices. This makes it much easier for consumers to overlook, lower their guards and mistake AI-driven digital biomarker interpretations in their wearables for formal medical guidance. And when coupled within a climate where consumers already face barriers with booking appointments and long waiting lists, a cheaper, quicker personal intervention becomes even more tempting.
As the boundary between medical devices and commercial wellness continues to dissolve, the responsibility lies on both developers and users. Whilst proactive health habits and user autonomy should be supported, health literacy must match consistently. It is vital that consumers understand where lifestyle recommendations end, and qualified medical intervention begins.
Pavanpreet Gohani - Biomedical Editor
Sources
https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/google-health/abbott-google-health-partnership/
https://www.fibricheck.com/mhealth-vs-wellness-apps-what-is-the-difference/