Samsung Electronics is advancing its presence in the digital health sector with plans to develop a centralised hub that enables patients to share their health data directly with doctors between visits. This strategic move underscores the company’s intent to play a more integrated role in tech-driven healthcare, as competition intensifies across the industry.
Dr Hon Pak, Head of Digital Health at Samsung, revealed in an interview that the initiative aims to address the communication gap that often arises following medical appointments. While clinicians may provide fitness and wellness recommendations during consultations, patients frequently struggle to retain or act upon this guidance. Samsung’s solution will consolidate data collected from wearable devices into a unified platform, simplifying how users track and follow medical advice.
“There are a lot of innovations out there but it’s siloed,” Dr Pak explained. “We think there’s a responsibility and a potential for bringing the experience into an ecosystem so that the users have a more simple experience rather than having 10 different apps to manage your condition.”
Although the health data hub remains under development, Samsung has unveiled a suite of new features for its smartwatch range. The updates, part of the One UI 8 software release, include tools to measure antioxidant levels and vascular load, alongside enhanced running coach and sleep management capabilities. These features will be available on recent models, including the Galaxy Watch 5, as part of a beta launch in the United States and South Korea later this month.
The antioxidant feature allows users to place a fingertip on the watch’s sensors to obtain a reading, with personalised dietary suggestions such as incorporating antioxidant-rich foods like berries to help improve results. Meanwhile, the vascular load tool monitors pulse waves during sleep to assess arterial pressure, potentially aiding in early detection of stroke risk and cardiovascular conditions.
In addition, the new running coach functionality analyses a user’s baseline performance to offer customised race training plans. Sleep enhancements will use multi-day data to determine and recommend optimal bedtimes, adding another layer of personalisation to Samsung’s health offering.
This move reflects a broader evolution in the wearables market, where smartwatches are transitioning from secondary smartphone companions to sophisticated health and wellness devices. Competing brands such as Apple, Garmin and Google have also pushed boundaries in health monitoring, particularly in areas such as heart function and sleep analysis.
Dr Pak noted that the industry-wide shift toward home-based care is being fuelled by a rise in chronic conditions, medical workforce shortages and escalating healthcare costs. “The burden is now on the patients and the families that have to provide that care,” he said. “So with that, we have to be in the home.”
Currently, Samsung Health serves around 68 million monthly active users. Looking ahead, the company plans to expand its health sensor capabilities to additional devices including earbuds. Further developments are underway in non-invasive monitoring, such as cuffless blood pressure measurement and glucose tracking, although these remain several years from commercial deployment.
-Bloomberg
