Wearables, Social Media, and What They Mean for the Doctor-Patient Relationship

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine recently published two new studies in JAMA Network Open and JAMA that offer new insights into how people interact with wearable devices and health-related content on social media.

“We're seeing more patients come to appointments with information they've gathered themselves, whether that's data from a smartwatch, something they read on social media, or information they searched for online,” says Rohan Khera, MD, MS, associate professor of medicine (cardiovascular medicine) at Yale School of Medicine and senior author of both papers. “In many ways, that's positive, as patients are more engaged and informed. But it means clinicians have to help patients make sense of a growing amount of information and figure out how to incorporate relevant patient-generated data into clinical care.”

Over the past decade, wearable devices like smartwatches and smart rings have become more common to help people track their fitness, diet, heart rate, and sleep patterns. Data from wearable devices can be valuable for individuals, health researchers, and clinicians, as it provides ongoing insights into a person's health throughout daily life, instead of only during occasional doctor's visits.

In a survey study of more than 17,000 participants published in JAMA Network Open, Yale researchers found that wearable device use increased from about 30% of U.S. adults in 2020 to 41% in 2024. Additionally, the study found that while most people who use wearables are willing to share data from their devices with their doctor, only a small portion of people actually do. The researchers point to a mix of structural factors, such as clinical workflows and a lack of standardized procedures, that make it challenging for clinicians to easily access this data.

“If people want to share information with their health teams, but the data never reaches their clinicians in a meaningful way, we're not fully realizing the potential of these health technologies,” says Aline Pedroso, PhD, associate research scientist (cardiovascular medicine) at Yale School of Medicine and first author of both papers. “Health systems need better pathways to collect, integrate, and use patient-generated data in ways that are simple for patients and meaningful for clinicians.”

In a research letter published in JAMA, Pedroso, Khera, and their colleagues detail results of a study that analyzed patterns of engagement with health-related content on social media based on a 2024 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) of more than 7,000 U.S. adults.

The study found that one in five people who use social media made a healthcare decision based on something they saw on social media.

“What’s particularly interesting is that most people also reported that they don’t fully trust the health information they encounter on social media,” Pedroso says. “There’s a disconnect: people recognize some information may be inaccurate or misleading, but it still influences their decisions.”

The study also found that older adults were less likely to use social media overall, but were more likely than most other groups to report making health decisions based on what they saw. The researchers say this indicates that exposure and influence are not the same thing.

“Understanding who is most influenced by online health information may help us better target health communication efforts and address the spread of misinformation,” Pedroso says. “Social media can also help us understand what health questions people have, what information they see, and where important gaps in knowledge exist.”

Khera says these studies highlight that wearables and social media have changed the dynamic of the clinical encounter. “Instead of a traditional model of medicine, where information flows from the clinician to the patient, today’s patient-physician relationship has evolved into a two-way conversation, where patients bring their own data, questions, and perspectives into their own care. The medical community needs to adjust to this change.”

The Department of Internal Medicine at Yale School of Medicine is among the nation's premier departments, bringing together an elite cadre of clinicians, investigators, educators, and staff in one of the world's top medical schools. To learn more, visit Internal Medicine.