AMA survey on wearable data use

The American Medical Association on July 8 published a multi-country survey showing physicians across six countries are already reviewing consumer wearable data, but many say health systems are not set up to use it routinely in care. The study, conducted with Medscape, surveyed 2,222 physicians in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom from January through early March 2026. The report examined how doctors use patient-generated data from smartwatches, fitness trackers and biosensors, and what is slowing broader adoption. AMA said the main obstacles were workflow, reimbursement, data infrastructure, clinical validation and liability concerns. ### Which devices and data does the survey actually cover? The AMA report defined “consumer digital wearables” as non-prescription, commercially marketed technologies used by individuals to monitor personal health, fitness and performance. It excluded prescription medical devices such as continuous glucose monitors and clinical diagnostic tools including mobile cardiac telemetry and home sleep apnea tests. (ama-assn.org) The July 8 practice-management summary said the most commonly reviewed categories were broadly similar across countries, especially heart physiology, activity and function, biometric or physical events and alerts, and sleep. AMA said those patterns suggest physicians are already encountering wearable data in everyday practice, even if the information is not yet integrated systematically. (ama-assn.org) ### How much physician use did AMA find? The AMA press release said 97% of physicians reported reviewing wearable data in some capacity, while only 3% said they never review it. Large majorities also reported that wearable data provide at least some clinical advantage for patient care, according to the association. Patient demand was visible but not constant. The AMA digital health page said fewer than one in four physicians reported weekly patient requests across any of four measured demand indicators, but when patients asked for review, physicians generally responded. (ama-assn.org) AMA said that pattern showed wearable data are entering clinical conversations selectively rather than as a standard part of visits. (ama-assn.org) ### If interest is high, what is holding adoption back? AMA President Willie Underwood III said the problem is not physician motivation. In the press release, he said physicians “recognize” wearable data’s potential to improve clinical decision-making, but “regulatory, reimbursement, and implementation barriers” across six advanced economies are preventing fuller integration into routine practice. (ama-assn.org) John Whyte, chief executive officer of the AMA, wrote in the report that barriers to broader adoption are “structural - not motivational.” He cited data credibility, clinical validation, workflow integration, reimbursement, liability and physician confidence in interpreting the data as continuing limits on use. ### What does AMA say would need to change? The July 2026 report said countries moving closer to integration are distinguished less by physician willingness than by the presence of clinical workflows, payment mechanisms, evidence standards and support systems. (ama-assn.org) Whyte said health systems, policymakers, technology developers, specialty societies and physicians need to work together on clearer standards for data quality and clinical validation, workflows that fit practice, liability clarity and payment pathways for patient-generated data. (ama-assn.org) The AMA press release said broader adoption also depends on stronger tools for interpreting data and workflows that fit “seamlessly” into clinical practice. The association framed the findings as a call for coordinated action by healthcare leaders, policymakers and technology developers. ### Where can readers see the underlying report? The AMA posted both the press release and the full report on July 8. (ama-assn.org) The full document, titled “AMA Multi-Country Study on Consumer Wearable Data in Clinical Practice,” is available through the association’s digital health pages and was produced by the AMA Center for Digital Health and AI with Medscape. (ama-assn.org)