Considering Wearable Health Tracking Devices and Pandemic Preparedness for Universities

Abstract

In the future, it is possible that universities could use sensing devices to help manage students and classroom disruptions during pandemics. Wearable sensing devices have shown the capability to identify oncoming illnesses. In particular, the Oura Ring, a smart-ring with sleep-tracking features, can detect cases of COVID-19 before users are aware of it. While these devices show promise, they are only effective for pandemic preparedness and response if users pay attention to the outputs of the devices and consistently use them. In this article, we discuss the results of a year-long in-the-wild study with 35 participants at a university who wore Oura Rings. After an orientation, the participants wore their rings with no restrictions or minimum wearing requirements. By retroactively looking at how participants used the rings for monitoring their health, we identify strategies and potential problems with employing wearables for health monitoring in universities.