We can become so enamored of new technology in medicine that we sometimes forget it needs to be tested to prove it can accomplish what it seems to promise.Recently, for example, many healthcare systems have embraced a range of remote telemonitoring products to track the health of patients at home. Some patients use such monitoring apps and gadgets on their own initiative (see "The Patient of the Future," p. 44). It seems logical that more data for doctors and patients is a good thing. In medicine, however, what matters is whether the innovation helps people live longer, with better health and quality of life. We have not yet assessed whether health-tracking apps actually do this.
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