There is value attached to having a device that monitors over the long haul.

A tech journalist who was diagnosed with afib after taking part in the Apple Watch heart study reported that he had undergone traditional EKGs more than once without a problem being detected.

>It's not the kind of thing that comes up in an EKG unless it is actually happening when the test is occurring. I've had EKGs a number of times, and there was never any indication anything was wrong.

I've even had heart tests as a precondition for having bariatric surgery four years ago, and been under general anesthesia, with no adverse results of any kind.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-apple-watch-saved-my-life/

The Apple Watch can perform an FDA-cleared diagnosis of certain forms of Atrial Fibrillation, and if what they showed on stage is to be believed, it can produce a really clear ECG that's also FDA-cleared. Just because you're redirected to a doctor doesn't mean the watch did nothing, it just means the watch can't provide a complete patient care cycle. The condition is identified, now what? False-positives can happen even with current medical-grade technology. It's just a question of how the false-positive rate compares.

"Never" is just such a strong word, given how quickly technology has advanced, and given how you don't seem to be aware of what exactly the new Apple Watch is supposed to be able to do.

Do you work for a Holter-producing company or something?

Even if they don't replace higher end gear, consumer devices will allow much better data to determine who needs to be hooked to a dedicated device. More people who need in depth can be brought in to do them, and less people who don't need it can avoid those tests.

Even if the amount of uses for high end devices (Holter monitor or whatever) stays the same, consumer wearables should lead to that usage being allocated in a more productive way, which will bring don't costs and improve outcomes.

I agree. I've seen some electrocardiogram peripherals for phones and they apparently only support lead II. Ability to instantly start recording a long II anywhere anytime is awesome but it is not a complete electrocardiogram.