Volume 30, Issue 171, May 2026

Health Applications and Wearable Devices: Clinical Value or a Passing Technological Trend? An Extended Narrative Review of Digital Health Systems, Biomarkers, and Patient Outcomes

Kinga Żmuda^1♦, Maja Kondratowicz², Kamila Kałamarz³, Aleksandra Figzał³, Maciej Świerczyna⁴, Maja Czerniachowska⁵, Marcin Kaniewski², Martyna Wojnowska⁶, Wiktoria Polkowska⁷, Michał Grabek³

¹University Clinical Hospital of Opole, al.W.Witosa 26 45-401 Opole, Poland
²The Independent Public Hospital No. 4, Lublin, Poland
³Karol Marcinkowski University Hospital Zyty 26 65-046 Zielona Góra, Poland
⁴Ministry of the Interior and Administration Hospital, Północna 42, 91-425 Łódź, Poland
⁵Medical University of Łódź, al. Kościuszki 4 90-419 Łódź Poland
⁶Mikolaj Pirogov Provincial Specialist Hospital, Wólczańska 191/195, 90-001 Łód, Poland
⁷Central Clinical Hospital, Medical University of Łódź, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Kinga Żmuda, University Clinical Hospital of Opole, al.W.Witosa 26 45-401 Opole, Poland

ABSTRACT

Technological progress has fundamentally reshaped the delivery of healthcare in the 21st century. Especially, mobile health apps and wearable devices are becoming important tools to monitor patients outside clinics. These technologies allow for tracking data in everyday life, which can help to overcome some limitations of doctor's visits. This article provides an analysis of studies from 2020 to 2025 to see how wearables help in patient care. We focus on the heart system, metabolic problems, and mental health. The goal is to understand if this popularity is a real clinical benefit or just the technological enthusiasm of people. Evidence shows that wearable devices can improve patient engagement and sometimes facilitate earlier intervention. However, results are not always the same in all studies. Several challenges still limit bigger implementation, for example, variability in data quality and no consistent rules. Another problem is that not everyone has access to these technologies. For this reason, their use in clinical practice should be based on careful evaluation to be sure they are safe for patients.

Keywords: mobile health, wearable devices, remote monitoring, digital health

Medical Science, 2026, 30, e92ms3826

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v30i171.e92ms3826

Published: 29 May 2026