The best medical alert smartwatches today allow their wearer to monitor a range of medical factors discretely and even detect whether the wearer has fallen. This, along with a range of medical alerts, could provide vital information for a family member who needs urgent medical assistance. With that in mind, we have put together a list of some of the best medical features found on Apple and Samsung smartwatches.
Samsung Galaxy Smart Active Watch series
The Samsung Active Galaxy Watch3 has recently introduced Fall Detection as a feature. Thanks to the enhanced accelerometer, the watch can detect hard falls and will activate an alert system asking if you need emergency assistance. If you do not respond within the timeframe, Galaxy Watch3 automatically alerts the authorities and your emergency contact to get help.
To set up Fall Detection and the alert system, you need to open the Samsung Wearable app on the phone synced with your Galaxy Watch3. Tap on SOS, then toggle on Detect falls. From there, you'll be prompted to select an Emergency contact who will receive an SOS message in case of a potential fall.
Set up and send SOS alerts
On your phone, open the Galaxy Wearable app. Swipe and tap SOS, and then tap the switch next to SOSes. Review and then agree to the terms and conditions. Next, you'll be asked to add an emergency contact. You can tap either Create contact or Select from contacts, and then add or create your desired contact.
To send SOS requests in an emergency, press the Home key on the smartwatch quickly three times. Your emergency contacts will receive SOS messages containing information about your current location and how to track you for up to one hour.
Access your medical info
Once you've added your medical information to your contact profile on the phone that's connected to the watch, you can access your details directly from the watch. To access it, press the Power key. From the Apps screen, tap Contacts, and then tap your profile at the top of the screen. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to view your info. In an emergency situation, press and hold the Power key. The Power off menu will appear. Tap the Emergency medical info icon to view your information.
Apple Watch series
Fall Detection watches for senior citizens and those who require mobile medical attention have steadily grown in popularity since Apple released its first smartwatch in April 2015. Medical alert smartwatches can assist you in calling an Uber or Lyft if you fall, set calendar reminders for medicine, show weather forecasts, and translate emergency information if you're abroad. Plus, with reliable GPS in-built, sharing your location with friends and family only takes a tap.
To set up Fall Detection on an Apple Watch, you first need to tell it to detect slips. To do this:
1. Open the Apple Watch app.
2. Select the My Watch tab, then click Emergency SOS.
3. From here, you can toggle Fall Detection to on or off.
Any falls you have will now be recorded in the Health App. To trigger a medical alert to your emergency contacts, you’ll also need to set up a Medical ID.
How to set up Apple Medical ID on an Apple Watch:
1. Firstly, open your Health app.
2. Tap your profile picture, then select Medical ID.
3. Click Edit.
Here, you can add information that’s useful to emergency services in the event of a fall, including any medical conditions you have, known allergies or medications you take.
Next, you can populate your emergency medical contacts:
1. Tap the green Add button under Emergency Contacts.
2. Choose the name of your emergency contact.
3. Add your relationship, then click Done.
To remove an emergency contact, simply select Remove and then press Delete.
Which smartwatch is right for you?
As the world adapts to living with Covid-19, so too have manufacturers of smartwatches and activity trackers. New fitness trackers to hit the market now cater to the global pandemic, from stress management to blood oxygen monitoring. Check out the above list to find the best smartwatch for you.
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