The Role of Patient-Generated Health Data and Wearable Technology in the Future Innovation of EHR Systems

In the world of healthcare, we are constantly looking for ways to grow, improve, and innovate with the goal of making the lives of our patients and our staff better. One area in healthcare that’s been getting some attention on how to improve is EHR systems. Finding a single solution on how to improve and innovate them is not simple – EHRs are complex with many parts to consider and people have millions of ideas for each part. So today we are going to narrow our focus down to patient-generated health data and wearable technology.

We reached out to our brilliant Healthcare IT Today Community to ask — what role do patient-generated health data and wearable technology play in the future innovation of EHR systems? The following are their answers.

Leslie Breer, Unit Lead, Clinical Care at TruBridge
Patients today are more engaged and accountable for their health through widespread wearable technologies. These devices have become a societal norm. They encourage patients to take note of metrics like activity levels, heart rate, and sleep patterns.

Despite a large amount of patient-generated health data (PGHD), this data is not necessarily meaningful in clinical settings. The challenge lies in making this data manageable and clinically relevant. PGHD must be standardized and compatible with EHRs to deliver real value in health care. Patients also need to understand what data is meaningful to share with their providers. Wearable devices can be beneficial, especially for populations with chronic conditions, but their practical use in EHRs is yet to be seen.

David Metcalfe, Chief Technology Officer at Nextech
Wearable technology can generate a vast amount of data; however, this information is often overlooked in clinical settings. To maximize the value of patient-generated health data (PGHD), we first must pinpoint the problems we’re trying to solve and identify how PGHD supports the overall care experience. Wearable technology gives patients the ability to track and monitor routine health measures; however, it can clutter and overwhelm EHR systems without clear direction on how, where, and why this information is stored and used.

Certain patient populations (such as those with chronic conditions) may benefit more from wearable technology than others. It’s important for providers to discern and understand the purpose of this data before integrating it in clinical workflows and EHRs. While PGHD has potential benefits, it can also crowd out important information and be more overwhelming than beneficial if integrated without clear intention.

Andy Flanagan, CEO at Iris Telehealth
Wearables and patient-generated data are revolutionizing how healthcare organizations monitor and understand health. By integrating real-time health insights between visits, the healthcare industry can shift from reactive to proactive care models. The key challenge isn’t just collecting data, it’s building robust systems that can securely handle a tsunami of data while turning it into actionable intelligence for providers. When done right, this integration creates a more complete picture of patient health, empowering clinicians to deliver more personalized and timely interventions.

Craig Joseph, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Nordic Global Consulting
Patient-generated health data (PGHD) and wearable technology are set to become critical drivers of future electronic health record (EHR) innovation, reshaping how clinicians access and utilize real-time health insights. As more patients adopt wearable devices that track vital signs, physical activity, and even biometric data, EHRs can integrate this continuous data flow, offering a more holistic view of patient health beyond episodic clinical visits. By incorporating PGHD into EHRs, clinicians can monitor trends over time, detect early warning signs of disease progression, and personalize treatment plans based on a richer understanding of the patient’s daily health metrics. For instance, a wearable tracking heart rate variability and oxygen levels could allow clinicians to spot early signs of heart conditions or respiratory issues, potentially intervening before these become acute.

However, integrating wearable data into EHRs also brings challenges. Data overload is a significant risk—sifting through continuous information streams will overwhelm clinicians unless the EHR can intelligently filter and highlight relevant insights. To manage this, future EHRs will likely need more advanced algorithms and dashboards to prioritize actionable data while allowing patients some control over shared information. Privacy and data security will be equally important, as patient trust in wearable technologies hinges on rigorous protection against breaches and misuse.

Dr. William Morris, Chief Medical Officer at Ambience Healthcare
A total view of a patient is not just the 1 day they are in clinic, but the 364 days they are not in clinic. Patient reported outcomes, SDOH, and remote patient monitoring are tremendous assets to shift towards anticipatory care and away from episodic care. But just as important as having access to this data, you need novel platform solutions that can help draw insights out of it.

Stephanie Murray, Senior Director, Epic Services at CereCore
EHRs should be able to accommodate and assimilate wearable technology data into the patient’s chart so that clinicians can easily access and review it. Workflows will need to handle inaccurate remote readings, allowing patients and/or providers an avenue to adjust submitted data. Incoming data from home devices could be crucial to treating patients in a variety of scenarios—recovering from surgery, managing chronic illness, achieving daily goals, and more. Remote wearable technology will be a consistent part of a patient’s healthcare journey, and EHR systems must be designed to integrate that data for a holistic view of the patient.

Tarken Friske, Senior Director of Consulting at Full Spectrum
More patient data means more opportunities to drive better patient outcomes. Both patient-generated health data (PGHD) and wearable technology offer the promise of a more comprehensive and continuous view of patient health. Realizing the full potential of these new and evolving data sources requires advancement in EHR systems to support the new data sources and workflows necessary to enable data collection, processing, and utilization. When integrated effectively, these data sources and workflows provide access to compelling new EHR capabilities:

• Continuous Monitoring: Wearables and mobile health devices capture real-time data on patient metrics like heart rate, sleep patterns, and blood pressure; this information provides clinicians with a continuous view of patient health compared to the isolated snapshots taken during office visits
• Broader Scope of Health Data: PGHD, including lifestyle factors like diet, exercise habits, mental health, and pain levels, adds depth to current EHRs; this enhanced dataset can reveal previously unobserved correlations and trends, allowing for an improved understanding of disease states and individualized patient responses
• Risk Prediction and Alerts: Real-time data from wearables allow for early detection of potentially dangerous health issues, enabling earlier intervention before a condition worsens
• Adaptive Therapy: For chronic conditions, wearable technology can provide insights into how patients are responding to treatment, allowing providers to adjust therapies in real time based on objective data rather than periodic check-ups
• Greater Patient Involvement: Access to their own health metrics encourages patients to take a more active role in managing their conditions; this engagement can improve adherence to treatment plans, as patients better understand their own progress and may be more likely to make healthier choices

Andrew Hines, Chief Technology Officer at Canvas Medical
Wearable tech and patient-generated data have a lot of potential but the impact will be limited by two things: the clinical science guiding what actions to take given the new data, and the payment models that fund the activities entailed. So until the science and payment are codified, the impact will be limited to niche populations.

Vijay Adapala, EVP Global Supply Partnerships at Doceree
Tracking the conditions of patients in real time helps in remote monitoring. The data collected from patients can aid in implementing preventive measures, enabling the early identification of relevant health concerns. Additionally, these insights contribute significantly to the management of chronic diseases, which has demonstrated advantages in long-term care. Despite the substantial benefits, there remains a need for a standardized protocol to effectively integrate all wearable data.

So many great ideas here! Huge thank you to Leslie Breer, Unit Lead, Clinical Care at TruBridge, David Metcalfe, Chief Technology Officer at Nextech, Andy Flanagan, CEO at Iris Telehealth, Craig Joseph, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Nordic Global Consulting, Dr. William Morris, Chief Medical Officer at Ambience Healthcare, Stephanie Murray, Senior Director, Epic Services at CereCore, Tarken Friske, Senior Director of Consulting at Full Spectrum, Andrew Hines, Chief Technology Officer at Canvas Medical, and Vijay Adapala, EVP Global Supply Partnerships at Doceree for taking the time out of your day to submit a quote to us! And thank you to all of you for taking the time out of your day to read this article! We could not do this without all of your support.

What role do you think patient-generated health data and wearable technology play in the future innovation of EHR systems? Let us know either in the comments down below or over on social media. We’d love to hear from all of you!

In the world of healthcare, we are constantly looking for ways to grow, improve, and innovate with the goal of making the lives of our patients and our staff better. One area in healthcare that’s been getting some attention on how to improve is EHR systems. Finding a single solution on how to improve and innovate them is not simple – EHRs are complex with many parts to consider and people have millions of ideas for each part. So today we are going to narrow our focus down to patient-generated health data and wearable technology.

We reached out to our brilliant Healthcare IT Today Community to ask — what role do patient-generated health data and wearable technology play in the future innovation of EHR systems? The following are their answers.

Leslie Breer, Unit Lead, Clinical Care at TruBridge
Patients today are more engaged and accountable for their health through widespread wearable technologies. These devices have become a societal norm. They encourage patients to take note of metrics like activity levels, heart rate, and sleep patterns.

Despite a large amount of patient-generated health data (PGHD), this data is not necessarily meaningful in clinical settings. The challenge lies in making this data manageable and clinically relevant. PGHD must be standardized and compatible with EHRs to deliver real value in health care. Patients also need to understand what data is meaningful to share with their providers. Wearable devices can be beneficial, especially for populations with chronic conditions, but their practical use in EHRs is yet to be seen.

David Metcalfe, Chief Technology Officer at Nextech
Wearable technology can generate a vast amount of data; however, this information is often overlooked in clinical settings. To maximize the value of patient-generated health data (PGHD), we first must pinpoint the problems we’re trying to solve and identify how PGHD supports the overall care experience. Wearable technology gives patients the ability to track and monitor routine health measures; however, it can clutter and overwhelm EHR systems without clear direction on how, where, and why this information is stored and used.

Certain patient populations (such as those with chronic conditions) may benefit more from wearable technology than others. It’s important for providers to discern and understand the purpose of this data before integrating it in clinical workflows and EHRs. While PGHD has potential benefits, it can also crowd out important information and be more overwhelming than beneficial if integrated without clear intention.

Andy Flanagan, CEO at Iris Telehealth
Wearables and patient-generated data are revolutionizing how healthcare organizations monitor and understand health. By integrating real-time health insights between visits, the healthcare industry can shift from reactive to proactive care models. The key challenge isn’t just collecting data, it’s building robust systems that can securely handle a tsunami of data while turning it into actionable intelligence for providers. When done right, this integration creates a more complete picture of patient health, empowering clinicians to deliver more personalized and timely interventions.

Craig Joseph, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Nordic Global Consulting
Patient-generated health data (PGHD) and wearable technology are set to become critical drivers of future electronic health record (EHR) innovation, reshaping how clinicians access and utilize real-time health insights. As more patients adopt wearable devices that track vital signs, physical activity, and even biometric data, EHRs can integrate this continuous data flow, offering a more holistic view of patient health beyond episodic clinical visits. By incorporating PGHD into EHRs, clinicians can monitor trends over time, detect early warning signs of disease progression, and personalize treatment plans based on a richer understanding of the patient’s daily health metrics. For instance, a wearable tracking heart rate variability and oxygen levels could allow clinicians to spot early signs of heart conditions or respiratory issues, potentially intervening before these become acute.

However, integrating wearable data into EHRs also brings challenges. Data overload is a significant risk—sifting through continuous information streams will overwhelm clinicians unless the EHR can intelligently filter and highlight relevant insights. To manage this, future EHRs will likely need more advanced algorithms and dashboards to prioritize actionable data while allowing patients some control over shared information. Privacy and data security will be equally important, as patient trust in wearable technologies hinges on rigorous protection against breaches and misuse.

Dr. William Morris, Chief Medical Officer at Ambience Healthcare
A total view of a patient is not just the 1 day they are in clinic, but the 364 days they are not in clinic. Patient reported outcomes, SDOH, and remote patient monitoring are tremendous assets to shift towards anticipatory care and away from episodic care. But just as important as having access to this data, you need novel platform solutions that can help draw insights out of it.

Stephanie Murray, Senior Director, Epic Services at CereCore
EHRs should be able to accommodate and assimilate wearable technology data into the patient’s chart so that clinicians can easily access and review it. Workflows will need to handle inaccurate remote readings, allowing patients and/or providers an avenue to adjust submitted data. Incoming data from home devices could be crucial to treating patients in a variety of scenarios—recovering from surgery, managing chronic illness, achieving daily goals, and more. Remote wearable technology will be a consistent part of a patient’s healthcare journey, and EHR systems must be designed to integrate that data for a holistic view of the patient.

Tarken Friske, Senior Director of Consulting at Full Spectrum
More patient data means more opportunities to drive better patient outcomes. Both patient-generated health data (PGHD) and wearable technology offer the promise of a more comprehensive and continuous view of patient health. Realizing the full potential of these new and evolving data sources requires advancement in EHR systems to support the new data sources and workflows necessary to enable data collection, processing, and utilization. When integrated effectively, these data sources and workflows provide access to compelling new EHR capabilities:

• Continuous Monitoring: Wearables and mobile health devices capture real-time data on patient metrics like heart rate, sleep patterns, and blood pressure; this information provides clinicians with a continuous view of patient health compared to the isolated snapshots taken during office visits
• Broader Scope of Health Data: PGHD, including lifestyle factors like diet, exercise habits, mental health, and pain levels, adds depth to current EHRs; this enhanced dataset can reveal previously unobserved correlations and trends, allowing for an improved understanding of disease states and individualized patient responses
• Risk Prediction and Alerts: Real-time data from wearables allow for early detection of potentially dangerous health issues, enabling earlier intervention before a condition worsens
• Adaptive Therapy: For chronic conditions, wearable technology can provide insights into how patients are responding to treatment, allowing providers to adjust therapies in real time based on objective data rather than periodic check-ups
• Greater Patient Involvement: Access to their own health metrics encourages patients to take a more active role in managing their conditions; this engagement can improve adherence to treatment plans, as patients better understand their own progress and may be more likely to make healthier choices

Andrew Hines, Chief Technology Officer at Canvas Medical
Wearable tech and patient-generated data have a lot of potential but the impact will be limited by two things: the clinical science guiding what actions to take given the new data, and the payment models that fund the activities entailed. So until the science and payment are codified, the impact will be limited to niche populations.

Vijay Adapala, EVP Global Supply Partnerships at Doceree
Tracking the conditions of patients in real time helps in remote monitoring. The data collected from patients can aid in implementing preventive measures, enabling the early identification of relevant health concerns. Additionally, these insights contribute significantly to the management of chronic diseases, which has demonstrated advantages in long-term care. Despite the substantial benefits, there remains a need for a standardized protocol to effectively integrate all wearable data.

So many great ideas here! Huge thank you to Leslie Breer, Unit Lead, Clinical Care at TruBridge, David Metcalfe, Chief Technology Officer at Nextech, Andy Flanagan, CEO at Iris Telehealth, Craig Joseph, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Nordic Global Consulting, Dr. William Morris, Chief Medical Officer at Ambience Healthcare, Stephanie Murray, Senior Director, Epic Services at CereCore, Tarken Friske, Senior Director of Consulting at Full Spectrum, Andrew Hines, Chief Technology Officer at Canvas Medical, and Vijay Adapala, EVP Global Supply Partnerships at Doceree for taking the time out of your day to submit a quote to us! And thank you to all of you for taking the time out of your day to read this article! We could not do this without all of your support.

What role do you think patient-generated health data and wearable technology play in the future innovation of EHR systems? Let us know either in the comments down below or over on social media. We’d love to hear from all of you!