Doctors crave wearable data, but the healthcare system is not ready — AMA global survey reveals integration barriers

Introduction

Wearable devices are generating personal health data on an unprecedented scale, but healthcare systems are not yet ready to effectively utilize this information. According to the latest global survey jointly released by the American Medical Association (AMA) Digital Health and AI Center and Medscape, although 97% of doctors have at least occasionally reviewed data brought by patients from smartwatches, fitness trackers, or biosensors, less than 6% of doctors have truly integrated this data into their daily clinical workflows.

This survey, covering over 2,000 doctors in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Spain, reveals a key trend: technology has already outpaced the healthcare system, and doctors themselves are not the obstacle.

Industry Context

The market size of digital health and wearable devices continues to expand. According to Rock Health data, the ownership rate of wearable devices among American adults has grown to approximately 33% over the past decade. At the same time, the FDA has gradually relaxed regulations on consumer-grade wearables, allowing more AI-driven health monitoring functions to enter the market. However, how to incorporate this data into electronic medical records, how to interpret it for doctors, and how to secure reimbursement have been persistent challenges for the industry.

The AMA survey provides the first systematic evidence from a multinational physician perspective on this dilemma.

Key Developments

The survey shows that 82% of doctors use wearable devices themselves, indicating that the physician community is not unfamiliar with this technology. The most frequently reviewed data categories by doctors include: cardiac physiological parameters, activity and function, biometrics/physical events and alerts, and sleep data.

In terms of perceived clinical value, 77% of U.S. doctors and 74% of doctors in other countries believe that wearable data offers at least some clinical advantage. Cardiologists and endocrinologists are the specialists who most frequently use wearable data, while primary care physicians, neurologists, and pulmonologists face more challenges regarding relevance, reliability, and practicality.

However, the current integration rate is extremely low—less than 6% of doctors in all countries have incorporated wearable data into their routine workflows. Interestingly, doctors in Germany and Spain report the highest likelihood of integration within the next 12 months, while Canada and the UK are the lowest. The U.S. is in the middle: it has the highest current usage rate (still very low), but also a large number of interested doctors who have yet to act.

Market Implications

This survey result provides clear guidance for health tech companies, digital health startups, and electronic health record (EHR) vendors.First, the payment pathway is a key driver. Germany, through its DiGA (Digital Health Applications) reimbursement path, provides a clear payment framework for wearable device data integration, which is why German physicians reported the highest feasibility and the lowest clinical concerns. In contrast, the current CPT codes for remote patient monitoring in the United States only apply to FDA-approved devices used under a clinician-managed care plan, and do not cover consumer-grade wearables. This leaves U.S. physicians lacking commercial incentives despite their high personal enthusiasm.

Second, EHR integration is a hard requirement. Dr. John Whyte, CEO of the AMA, noted that technology companies must collaborate with physicians to understand how to embed data into EHRs in a way that is acceptable to clinical workflows. Currently, most wearable data exists in the form of PDFs or screenshots and cannot be automatically structured into electronic health records, severely limiting physicians' time efficiency.

Moreover, building clinical evidence is crucial. Approximately 60% of physicians cite randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and peer-reviewed research as the primary conditions for trusting wearable data. Therefore, investing in RCTs and promoting updates to society guidelines will pave the way for widespread adoption of wearable data.1. Payment Reform: If the U.S. CMS or commercial insurers can establish reimbursement mechanisms for reviewing consumer-grade wearable data (similar to Germany’s DiGA), it will significantly boost physician willingness to participate. 2. Regulation and Clinical Evidence: The FDA’s regulatory roadmap for AI medical devices is gradually becoming clearer, and more approved wearable algorithms will form the basis of physician trust. Meanwhile, clinical guidelines developed by specialty associations will accelerate adoption. 3. EHR and AI Tool Integration: Major EHR vendors such as Epic and Cerner will partner with wearable device manufacturers to develop modules for direct data import and intelligent analysis. AI can help distill key anomalies, reducing physicians’ cognitive load. 4. Patient Education: Surveys show that when patients proactively ask their doctors to review wearable data, physicians almost always respond. Therefore, leveraging consumer health apps and physician communication tools to boost patient-driven demand may be the most direct acceleration strategy.

Currently, the German model offers a replicable path: clear payment, high feasibility, and low clinical concerns. If other countries can learn from this, the clinical value of wearable data is expected to shift from “interesting” to “indispensable.”