As exciting as the Apple Watch Series 6’s blood oxygen sensor may be, it might not be up to snuff for medical purposes.
Apple’s fine print regarding this feature offers a few caveats:
Blood Oxygen app measurements are not intended for medical use, including self-diagnosis or consultation with a doctor, and are only designed for general fitness and wellness purposes.
This means that you might not be able to rely on the data being very accurate. Per a number of early tests, the data can be quite imprecise.
According to the Washington Post’s Geoffrey Fowler, the sensor occasionally said his “lungs and heart are the picture of health, pumping blood that’s 100 percent saturated with oxygen.” Other times, though, the sensor suggests he might have emphysema, his blood oxygen is so low.
Fowler compared the Apple Watch Series 6 to a $60 FDA-approved finger pulse oximeter, and reported an error rate of plus one or minus two percentage points. He noted that the results sometimes matched, but most often were two to three percentage points different. At times, though, the Apple Watch differed from the finger pulse oximeter by seven percent.
When Apple introduced the ECG function into its watch in 2018, it worked with researchers to publish accuracy studies. Cupertino also got FDA clearance (not the same as “approval”) for its app. Even so, the company was very forthcoming with its warning not to rely upon the irregular-rhythm notification if you’d previously been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.
In short, you might not want to purchase an Apple Watch Series 6 with the idea that it will accurately diagnose medical issues such as COVID-19, sleep apnea, emphysema, pulmonary embolisms, or any other health problems.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via The Mac Observer and The Washington Post