Pioneer in Wearable Sensor Technology and Digital Health, Dr. Steven Steinhubl, Files IPO Prospectus

Editor’s Note: Steven Steinhubl, MD, became the first Director of Internet Medicine Programs at the Scripps Translational Science Institute in San Diego in early 2013 and is also a practicing cardiologist within the Scripps Health system. A former U.S. Air Force veteran who served in Alaska and Texas, Dr. Steinhubl previously served as the former Director of Cardiovascular Health Services at the Geisinger Health System. He has published more than 400 abstracts, peer-reviewed manuscripts, and book chapters. mHealthNews recently interviewed him, and VCBeat has compiled and translated the interview as follows—

Q: What will be the biggest driving force for the continued advancement of internet healthcare in the coming year?

Answer: The greatest promise of internet-based healthcare lies in its ability to deliver better, more personalized care; however, robust clinical evidence is still needed to drive its development. Although a vast array of devices and wearable sensors offer incredible possibilities, patients, manufacturers, and healthcare payers still require evidence demonstrating their efficacy.

Q: Which internet healthcare technology will become ubiquitous in the next five years? Why?

A: Wearable devices capable of continuously monitoring stress and anxiety levels could play a significant role in the future, improving the quality of life for a large portion of the population. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses in the United States; however, stress and anxiety—particularly when they become chronic—are difficult for both patients and healthcare providers to recognize.

Several smartphone-monitored wearable devices have been developed and are undergoing preliminary testing to evaluate their efficacy in identifying individual-specific stress responses. This technology not only enhances individuals’ awareness of health-detrimental stress but also helps them determine appropriate preventive or control measures to manage such stress responses.

Q: What are the most cutting-edge applications you currently see in this field? What innovations can we expect to see in the near future?

Answer: With every breath we take, air mixes with blood in the lungs. Identifying and measuring substances that enter the bloodstream through respiration offers the potential to revolutionize the diagnosis of various diseases, including cancer and infectious diseases. It has long been demonstrated that dogs possess an olfactory capability surpassing that of humans, enabling them to make judgments based on scent. Early handheld breath analyzers attempted to replicate this ability, known as the “digital nose,” which is a truly remarkable technology.

Hypertension is one of the diseases with the highest morbidity and mortality rates globally. Various new technologies for measuring blood pressure can significantly improve the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension. Furthermore, non-invasive glucose sensors not only help patients with diabetes better manage their condition but also assist individuals without diabetes in making healthier dietary choices through informed food selection.

Q: Which internet healthcare tools or trends are poised for catastrophic failure?

A: Standalone activity trackers are becoming increasingly popular, but I believe they are merely a fad and will gradually fade away. As users’ initial novelty wears off, these devices fail to genuinely motivate the majority of people to engage in more physical activity.

Nevertheless, given the indispensable role of exercise in maintaining health, an increasing number of fitness tracking devices with health monitoring capabilities will emerge on the market. These include devices capable of monitoring sleep and detecting stress levels, as well as those that can measure blood pressure and blood glucose. Parameters obtained from multiple sensors undergo personalized data analysis to provide wearers with tailored, actionable feedback, thereby helping individuals adopt healthier lifestyles.

Q: Regardless of success or failure, which internet healthcare tool or trend has surprised you the most?

A: I believe the most promising and surprising trend is that, over time, developers and consumers have come to recognize the importance of compelling, real-world evidence in driving change. During the peak of the internet healthcare hype, technology developers seemed to wishfully believe that healthcare providers and consumers would naturally adopt and scale their grand visions. Regardless of how urgently the healthcare industry needed transformation, most developers at the time failed to recognize what a highly challenging proposition this would be. Today, an increasing number of developers understand the importance of demonstrating the clinical value of their technologies beyond experimental research.

Q: What is your greatest fear regarding internet healthcare? Why?

Answer: Fee-for-service will continue to serve as the dominant payment system within the healthcare system. It is a broken, profit-driven, and detrimental payment model that adversely affects patients, healthcare providers, and the economy. Under the fee-for-service framework, there is little incentive for stakeholders to learn about or fully adopt internet-based healthcare technologies.

Q: Who will drive internet healthcare to the next level—consumers, suppliers, or others?

A: Consumer-oriented internet healthcare companies are likely to become the primary force driving the industry to new heights. These “disruptive” enterprises will focus on enhancing user convenience and improving outcomes, which constitutes the sweet spot of internet healthcare.

Q: What is your current goal?

A: We have more than a dozen highly promising research initiatives and clinical trials at various stages. We anticipate that these efforts will yield superior outcomes in the future, significantly reducing costs while better meeting the needs of both consumers and providers, thereby driving transformative change. Our trials span multiple domains, including heart failure, emotional regulation, visual impairment, atrial fibrillation, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), general health, sleep apnea, and chronic disease management. Nevertheless, we have only scratched the surface, and much more work remains to be done.

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