Wearables, home monitors, patient portals and telehealth can genuinely improve your care — if you use them for the right jobs.
Validated upper-arm blood pressure cuffs top the list; smart scales, pulse oximeters and (for some) continuous glucose monitors round it out. Trends over weeks beat single readings.
BP monitoring guide →Great for activity, heart-rate trends, and sleep patterns; several offer ECG and irregular-rhythm alerts that have caught real atrial fibrillation. They are screening hints, not diagnoses — bring alerts to a doctor.
The portal (MyChart and similar) is the highest-value health tech most people ignore: message your care team, see labs, request refills, and download records when switching doctors.
Excellent for follow-ups, mental health, rashes and refills; wrong for anything needing hands-on exam or emergencies.
When a video visit is enough →HIPAA covers your doctor and insurer — it generally does not cover consumer apps. Before syncing sensitive data, check whether the app sells or shares it, and prefer apps with clear privacy policies.
See our curated apps, devices and podcasts, updated as the market changes.
Podcasts, apps & monitors →