When it comes to risk factors for poor health, social isolation is on par with cigarette smoking, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obesity, and physical inactivity. Researchers in the Department of Neurology developed SocialBit, a smartwatch-based sensor designed to track the number and duration of social connections of the person wearing it.
The team found SocialBit identified social isolation in a sample of stroke survivors as they are being observed in the hospital, which can help healthcare providers intervene to improve stroke recovery.
“SocialBit could be a useful tool for social sensing in individuals with diverse abilities, as well as detecting social isolation in vulnerable individuals with high accuracy,” says neurologist Amar Dhand, MD, DPhil, the study’s corresponding author. “The algorithm could be used as a basis for social therapeutics and acted on quickly, leading to improved health outcomes.”
