Smartwatches and other wearable health tools that use lights to measure certain heart functions often don’t work properly for people with darker skin.  

Touch, a nonprofit organization focused on improving the health of Black women through more effective medical research, partnered with agency FCB Health New York to draw attention to the inequity in a lasting way—by launching a technology aimed at tracking heart rates equally, regardless of skin tone. The campaign netted bronze in the advocacy category for Creative Data Campaign of the Year. 

Armed with published research about the ways green-light technology falls short for some people, the agency designed a wristband prototype, known as EQL BAND, that uses audio sensors including microphones and a cardio stethoscope to measure heartbeats. To ensure its accuracy, the agency said it compared EQL BAND with other devices used to monitor heart health in clinical settings. It also designed the band to be compatible with all smartwatches. 

Touch aims to integrate the band into clinical trials relying on smartwatch data collection by next year. Following the launch of a dedicated website and social media promotion, it is seeking to partner with health tech companies, pharmaceutical firms, advocacy groups and other entities to invest in the innovation and continue raising awareness of the issue of unequal metrics.