An Apple Watch is displayed during an announcement of new products last September at Apple Park in Cupertino, Calif. Associated Press

With growing concerns about the accuracy of wrist-worn health devices, a Slippery Rock University student is charting a course toward better results through undergraduate research.

Matthew Deemer, a senior exercise science major from Zelienople and a Seneca Valley graduate, is leading a research project titled, “Validation of Wrist-Worn Devices for Blood Pressure Measurement.”

The project is funded through the Slippery Rock University Faculty & Student Research Grant Program.

Matthew Deemer, a senior exercise science major from Zelienople and a Seneca Valley graduate, is leading a research project titled “Validation of Wrist-Worn Devices for Blood Pressure Measurement.” The project is funded through the Slippery Rock University Faculty & Student Research Grant Program. Submitted photo

Navigating the healthcare system can be complex, particularly for individuals who experience stress or anxiety when visiting a doctor. For some, this discomfort can directly impact medical readings and produce misleading results.

“Recently, when we think about blood pressure and its clinical significance, there’s a rather common phenomenon called ‘white coat syndrome,’” Deemer explained. “This term refers to when people experience a rise in blood pressure simply from being in a clinical setting. That can lead to a false flag, or a diagnosis of high blood pressure, which in actuality, their blood pressure is normal.”

In response to this issue, the healthcare market increasingly shifted toward at-home blood pressure monitoring. However, new challenges emerged, as traditional devices that provide accurate readings are often bulky and inconvenient. They are less practical for consistent, everyday use.

“To further address this, we’ve seen within the past five to 10 years the development of wrist-worn blood pressure devices,” Deemer said. “You see an Apple Watch on every other wrist around campus. Now, we can see that the validity testing on blood pressure devices has room to be improved.”

Deemer’s study comes into play when looking at blood pressure under specific conditions.

“Previous work within our laboratory has shown that there could be a difference in blood pressure between arms,” Deemer said. “That’s an area where we might have a false positive. Whenever you do any physical activity, you can have a blood pressure spike. A lot of the devices that we wear aren’t validated under conditions where you might have a type of postural change. We wanted to address these concerns.”

Deemer, along with Mingchia Yeh, an assistant professor of exercise science, ran tests to measure blood pressure through various conditions, not just while resting.

“Not only are we testing a great idea, but we’re also working to improve the standards of which we test devices,” Deemer said. “I hope that this project shakes up how we do validity testing. If someone’s watch is giving the wrong values, there needs to be a study that says that. This will help hold companies accountable, especially for something as important as blood pressure.”

Deemer, who plans to graduate in May, is also currently working with a new student co-investigator for this project, Brady Blakeslee, a sophomore exercise science major from Union City.

“A lot of the feedback we got was that people wanted to see more data points, so I’m training a new student right now,” Deemer said. “We’re training him to take over with a new team of researchers to continue to gather more data.”

The team of researchers involved in the project wants to give all wrist-worn test devices a chance to prove themselves. Deemer said he has a strong focus on setting up this project for future students to get involved with, as well as help increase the validity of wrist-worn blood pressure devices.

“A culture of excellence is only great if we continue to carry it on,” Deemer said. “If we continue to do high-level, impactful research, while also developing the students at SRU, it proves that even a smaller university can have a massive impact.”

Deemer won the 2026 College of Health Professions’ Outstanding Student in Research Scholarship or Creative Activity award from Dean Christina Karshin at the Legacy Leadership Awards ceremony April 8 for his work as a co-investigator on three research projects, including this project.

Justin Zackal is associate director of university marketing and communication at Slippery Rock University.