Visible Prioritizes Illness Tracking Over Fitness Monitoring

Overview of Health Tech

Health and fitness trackers aren’t in short supply these days. Manufacturers range from mainstream giants such as Apple, Google, Samsung, Fitbit, and Withings, to more niche players like Polar, Suunto, and Garmin. However, the underlying assumption behind these devices is that users are essentially healthy and looking to improve their fitness levels.

Visible for Tech Healthcare

But what can you do if you’re not healthy? Visible is making waves in the health tech revolution by shining a light on underrepresented sectors, particularly those grappling with chronic illnesses, including long COVID.

Visible has revolutionized the health tech landscape by introducing an innovative “illness tracker.” This tracker helps users better manage their physical discomforts, a notable departure from the fitness-centric mentality that dominates most health wearables on the market today. Its software, available as iOS and Android apps, leverages the power of health technology and advanced data analytics to address the needs of those severely affected by chronic illnesses — a sector that Harry Leeming, co-founder and CEO at Visible, describes as “wildly underserved.”

Journey of Visible

Initially, Visible did not envision it would become a diagnostic tool for long COVID or other chronic illnesses. Its mission began with the objective of improving patient communication during the overwhelming surge of the COVID-19 pandemic. Leeming quickly recognized the pressing need posed by long COVID and pivoted towards developing the “illness tracker.”

Visible Tracker Experience

As a long COVID sufferer, I gave its solution a try while attending CES in Las Vegas earlier this year. The company uses a Polar continuous heart monitor band to monitor your heart rate throughout the day, giving you a “morning check-in” rating from 1-5. Depending on your rating, the app suggests how hard you should push yourself that day. Simultaneously, it provides you with an insight into your possible energy levels for the day, allowing you to plan accordingly.

The Future of Visible

“The emergence of COVID has significantly emphasized the importance of chronic conditions,” says Leeming. “With our tracker, we aim to encompass fitness, wellness, and illness. We initially launched a free app in November 2022 that solely uses your smartphone data. We’ve seen over 45,000 people join our platform organically, and we’ve recently rolled out the premium subscription. Today, around 2,000 users are using that.”

Visible’s “illness tracker” not only aids in COVID monitoring but has proven beneficial to people with post-concussion syndrome, post-surgery fatigue, and those recovering from cancer. It’s a hopeful step forward for those marginalized by the traditional “one-size-fits-all” healthcare model. Visible’s tool, still in its early stages, hopes to foster better health outcomes by allowing users to make more informed decisions based on their own body’s data.