Biometrics - in Conversation with Dr. Stephen Chan

by Bob Spensley & Kim Barthel

by Bob Spensley & Kim Barthel

As professionals and caregivers, wouldn’t it help everyone for us to better understand what’s truly going on for the people we’re trying to support? With keen attunement and tracking of body language this is already on the right track, and when adding information from biometric assessment this in-the-moment “knowing" goes much further. Biometrics are the way we can see, in real time, the body’s state of arousal through measurements of stress.

As examples, devices show heart rate, heart rate variability, or electrodermal activity, that can be observed in real-time on a screen from non-invasive wearables with increasing accuracy and ease. In this recent interview, Kim sits down with Dr. Stephen Chan to discuss how biometrics is an emerging addition to both therapeutic and educational support.

For those interested and able to join Stephen and Kim in-person in Hong Kong on Jan 17th & 18th, 2026, their first full collaboration on this topic will be presented in the workshop "From Data to Decisions: Using Biometrics to Elevate Clinical Care”.

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