Two recent surveys, one from activity tracker maker Withings and the other from research firm IDC Health Insights asked consumers about their engagement with connected health devices.

In the IDC survey, the research firm found that one out of three consumers who own fitness trackers stopped using their devices in the past 12 months. IDC adds that to maintain consumers' engagement with these devices, there needs to be more education on the benefits of health devices and activity trackers.

"To control escalating healthcare costs, especially for chronic conditions, healthcare organizations are evaluating a variety of options to engage consumers and encourage them to take a more active role in managing their health," Lynne A. Dunbrack, research vice president of IDC Health Insights said in a statement. "Sitting is the new smoking. Clinical research shows that a sedentary lifestyle contributes to poor health status. Consistent use of fitness and activity trackers with built-in sensors combined with mobile health applications enables consumers to improve their health." 

Withings' survey explored how much consumers know about connected health devices and vital signs in general. The company asked respondents to list off vital signs without being prompted. Almost half of the consumers in the survey could recall blood pressure as a vital sign, 28 percent recalled pulse, 22.4 percent recalled BMI, 21.8 percent recalled blood sugar, and 20.9 percent recalled cholesterol level. Only 8.8 percent of users added respiratory rate to their list and 7.8 percent included blood oxygen saturation.

When Withings asked users which vitals they remember their doctor measuring at their last office visit, more than 80 percent of patients could remember their doctors taking body temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate metrics, but only 29 percent remember their doctor measuring their blood oxygen level.

Even though only 12 percent of users knew that temperature was a vital sign, Withings found 59 percent of respondents owned a thermometer -- the most commonly owned at-home diagnostic device.

Withings also found that while 82 percent of Americans think tracking their vital signs at home is important, one fifth of Americans do not track any vitals outside of the doctor's office. The survey found that 75 percent of respondents said they would consider monitoring their vital signs at home if doing so would help them save money on health insurance premiums.