Wearable Technology (aka “wearables”) is a highly trending topic at SXSW Interactive in Austin this year. Aside from the innumerable panels on the technology, design, functionality and hardware of the devices there have been demonstrations of wristbands, dongles, rings, watches and more. The utility of these devices is not in question, but their usefulness may be–one potentially tremendously important function is personal health.

I was able to sit with a representative for Withings to discuss their family of hardware, how it plugs into the Internet of Things and how it might change both the way we care for ourselves and that our technology might take care of us. A new white paper, authored by Withings (and their Health Institute), describes the potential impact of connected wearables on wellness, medicine and healthcare.

The use of mobile technologies in medical care, often referred to as m-health, has a huge potential – not only to assist doctors in making well-informed decisions, but also to help patients take on an active role in their own health care. This white paper sets out to analyze the present m-health landscape, to assess existing scientific evidence and to investigate its future potential. It lays out a number of suggestions to accelerate the advent of a preventive, predictive and personalized medicine.

The white paper, authored by Withings Health Institute with the contribution of medical experts, is to describe the impact of connected devices on health, download a free copy here.