University of South Australia research reveals overwhelming willingness among wearable device users to hand over personal health information to healthcare providers, defying expectations amid rising data privacy concerns.
Despite daily headlines about data breaches and privacy risks, an overwhelming 94% of people using wearable activity trackers are willing to share their personal health information with healthcare providers, new research reveals.
The University of South Australia global study found that users of Fitbits, Garmins, Samsung and Apple Watches are eager to hand over data if it means better care, with 47% already discussing their data with healthcare providers and 43% actively sharing it.
The findings challenge assumptions about privacy concerns in an era of increasing data security awareness, suggesting healthcare represents a trusted exception to growing data sharing reluctance.
“Every day we hear about privacy risks and data breaches, so it’s reasonable to assume that data sharing might raise issues,” says UniSA researcher Dr Ty Ferguson. “But in reality, the opposite is true – people are overwhelmingly willing to share health data from their smartwatches, as long as it’s with trusted health professionals such as doctors or physiotherapists.”
The willingness proved even stronger among people with chronic health conditions, indicating those with greatest healthcare needs are most open to data sharing.
“By sharing personalised health data – such as sleep patterns, physical activity, or heart rate – healthcare providers can gain deeper insights about each patient’s needs, potentially offering smarter, more responsive, and better-quality care,” Dr Ferguson said.
The research comes as the wearable activity tracker market explodes from its current USD 63 billion value toward a projected USD 352 billion by 2033. An estimated 39% of US adults and 36% of Australian adults now own smartwatches.
The timing aligns with urgent public health needs, as global statistics reveal 31% of adults and 80% of teenagers fail to meet recommended physical activity guidelines, increasing stroke, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes risks.
Poor lifestyle habits are widespread, with one in eight people living with obesity and nearly half of Australian adults reporting at least two sleep-related problems. Treating preventable non-communicable diseases is expected to cost nearly US$300 billion globally by 2030.
Co-researcher and post-doctoral researcher Kimberley Szeto says the figures highlight healthcare systems’ urgent need to better support healthy lifestyle behaviours.
“Being inactive, not getting enough quality sleep, and poor diet, are all preventable behaviours that can contribute to a higher risk of chronic disease,” Szeto says. “Wearable activity trackers are a popular, relatively low-cost tool, that help people monitor their daily habits and better understand how this can impact their overall wellbeing.”
“If people are open to sharing this information with their health providers, they could potentially receive health support that is specifically targeted to their own condition and health behaviours,” she said.
However, challenges remain in realising personalised healthcare’s potential.
“While the positives are clear, challenges remain, from ensuring the reliability and validity of wearable activity data, and costs for data integration, to improving data security, and training for healthcare providers,” Szeto said.
“Personalised healthcare is the way of the future; when we have the data and the desire to share it, it’s only a matter of time before we see progression.”
The World Economic Forum reports that personalized healthcare has already reduced administration costs, hospital admissions and lengthy hospital stays by 5-10%, suggesting significant potential returns on data sharing investment.
Ritchelle is a Content Producer for Healthcare Channel, Australia’s premier resource of information for healthcare.
