Skylabs, a local wearable medical device startup, has announced the results of a survey of 721 patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation in their 20s and 80s who use wearable medical devices. The Atrial Fibrillation Association (AFA) jointed conducted the opinion poll.

More than 80 percent of the respondents said that they want to diagnose themselves using atrial fibrillation wearable medical device, which showed their high interest in such devices. About 50 percent of the patients said they had experience purchasing atrial fibrillation monitoring devices without a physician's recommendation.

The survey also showed that the primary factors in purchasing wearable medical devices were comfort (40 percent) and price (20 percent).

Regarding the determinants of medical device reliability, doctor's recommendation came first with 64 percent, followed by patient reviews (56 percent), and brand awareness (12 percent).

To meet the rising demand, Skylabs has developed Cardio Tracker (CARD), a wearable device and service for medical use. CARD is a ring-type atrial fibrillation detector that self-monitors atrial fibrillation for 24 hours.

“CART is a medical device that meets patient needs regarding comfort,” AFA Founder and CEO Trudie Lobban said.

Skylabs CEO Lee Byung-whan also said, “Atrial fibrillation is one of the most common diseases, and it is most important that patients monitor their symptoms by themselves as it is difficult to detect at hospitals due to discontinuous observation.”