The Withings ScanWatch with EKG is finally available in the US

After almost two years, the Withings ScanWatch is now available to purchase in the US after its announcement back at the beginning of 2020. The ScanWatch was waiting for clearance from the Food and Drug Administration, which it had received in October for its EKG and blood oxygen measurement features.

Unlike its competitors Apple Watch and Fitbit, both of whom can track blood oxygen and have EKG technology, Withings is claiming that the hybrid watch can detect sleep apnea, a sleep disorder charactered by disrupted breathing patterns. The ScanWatch is still a part of an ongoing clinical study for this claim.

Unlike Apple and Fitbit’s devices, the Withings ScanWatch also requires medical review. In order to use the EKG feature on the newly available Withings ScanWatch, people have to first get the tool unlocked through a prescription from a healthcare provider — a first for EKG-enabled smartwatches on the market. Other smartwatches like the Apple Watch let people start using the feature right out of the box.

The requirement was part of Withings’ Food and Drug Administration authorization, which says that the device can track heart rhythms and detect atrial fibrillation “when the monitor is prescribed or used under the care of a physician.” Withings has partnered with the telehealth platform Heartbeat Health to give out those prescriptions. When someone takes their first EKG reading with the ScanWatch, Withings’ app batches the recording off to Heartbeat, which matches the user with a cardiologist in their state. The cardiologist then reviews the reading and can unlock the full EKG tool.

The providers at Heartbeat Health review the EKG and give the users information on what it showed — like whether it was normal or if it showed any signs of atrial fibrillation. In some cases, if the reading was unclear (like if someone was moving around too much), they might ask the user to take another EKG.

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