Many of the amazing people who work at Overwatch have epilepsy themselves or care for loved ones who have seizure disorders. That means that when you call Overwatch, you will be speaking with someone who faces similar challenges as you. Developing new product features together with the epilepsy community is how we fight epilepsy and how we improve the quality of life for those living with seizure disorders. Interested in knowing more about Overwatch or our individual stories or have a suggestion on how we can improve Overwatch Seizure Detection?
Overwatch Seizure Detection uses proprietary algorithms to detect movements that may be indicative of seizures. Once detected, Overwatch Seizure Detection prompts your Apple® Watch to send a message to Overwatch’s data-center (the Cloud), which then sends a text message or generates an automated telephone call to your caregivers or trusted contacts so that they can seek help on your behalf. Overwatch seizure detection also records all seizures in an online seizure diary (the Patient Portal) so that you and your doctor can use that information to help identify patterns and triggers in your seizure history or to design more effective treatment protocols.
We use proprietary algorithms to separate normal movement from seizure-like movement. The Overwatch App is embedded into the technology of an Apple® Watch, meaning the user also has the ability to utilize all the other features that Apple puts into their smartwatches.
Overwatch Seizure Detection captures tonic-clonic seizure movements.
Please note: Overwatch Seizure Detection detects and alerts in the event of seizure-like activity lasting longer than 20 seconds. We are constantly working to improve our technology to be able to detect shorter sequences of seizure-like events as well as other patterns of abnormal movement.
Once Overwatch Seizure Detection detects a seizure-like movement, your Apple® Watch will vibrate and/or make a sound to notify you that an alert is about to be generated. If the movement that was detected by Overwatch Seizure Detection is not a seizure or if you do not need help, you have the option to cancel the alert on the Apple® Watch. If you do not cancel the alert within 20 seconds of the Apple® Watch vibrating and/or making a sound, your caregivers and contacts are automatically sent a notification of a seizure that includes your GPS location.
Currently, Overwatch Seizure Detection runs only on Apple® Series 3 Watches (or newer) that are enabled with GPS + Cellular capability. We are working on updating Overwatch Seizure Detection so that it will also work on Android smartwatches.
Yes! Please note, however, that Overwatch Seizure Detection may not be able to provide monitoring and alerting functionality when you are using the Workout App on your Apple Watch. If you use the Workout App on your Apple Watch to track and monitor your workouts, please verify that monitoring is ON after each workout.
The battery life of an Apple® Series 3 Watch with GPS + Cellular is about 18 hours after an overnight charge. Using the magnetic charging cable (included with your Apple® Watch), it takes about 2 hours to fully charge from zero to 100%. Using other apps on your Apple® Watch (e.g. playing music, heart-rate monitor, etc.) will usually shorten the battery life of the watch.
Knowing where you are during a seizure is essential in getting help to you quickly. When Overwatch Seizure Detection sends alerts to your caregivers, it includes your current GPS location so that they can get assistance to you as soon as possible.
Yes! Should you need to set up your iPhone to be on WiFi only (i.e. airplane mode to turn off cellular data), Overwatch Seizure Detection will still send notifications over available WiFi networks.
The Patient Portal for Overwatch Seizure Detection is your daily seizure log. You can use the seizure information that is automatically logged in the Patient Portal (i.e. seizure frequency and intensity) when speaking to your doctor about treatment options and seizure control protocols.
If you have any problems or concerns about Overwatch Seizure Detection or the Patient Portal our team is ready to assist you via email at info@overwatchdh.com.
To cancel, click the “My Account” or “Login” link in the upper-right corner of the screen and log into the account you created when ordering. On the right-hand side, click “manage subscriptions”. Choose which active subscription you would like to cancel and click the “Cancel” button.
The Apple® Watch must be paired with an Apple® iPhone (version 6S Plus or newer). The iPhone must have an eligible cellular service plan with one of the following four carriers: AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, or Verizon.
Yes! The Apple Watch and Overwatch App will not interfere with a VNS. One of the great things about an Apple Watch is that you can set heart rate parameters so that the watch will alert should the heart rate of the wearer go above or below a certain number. We understand that many people with epilepsy find this information important and the fact that the watch can monitor this is a large part of why we chose it as our hardware platform!
We understand the importance of giving wearers the option of both Apple® and Android depending on your caregiver’s phone. We plan on launching an Android version of our technology in 2023.
At this time, Overwatch Seizure Detection is not covered by medical insurance or by Medicare or Medicaid.
No! We designed Overwatch Seizure Detection to operate on a cellular service so that you would not need to have your iPhone nearby in order for Overwatch Seizure Detection to be connected at all times.
Overwatch Seizure Detection creates a personalized seizure log that will collect the date/time of your seizures. In addition, our website collects various website visitor information. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use for additional information that Overwatch may collect. In addition, the Overwatch website and systems all comply with the requirements for HIPAA.
The first month of service is free thereafter the monitoring service is $29.99/month. Your cellular service provider may also charge you a monthly service fee to add the Apple® Watch to your cellular plan (usually $10/month).
Overwatch Seizure Detection is designed for anyone who can comfortably wear the Apple Watch. See Apple’s sizing chart below for reference:
Our Customer Care Team is available at info@overwatchdh.com.
Purchasing through our website is how you manage your subscription. Once you sign up, you will get an email link to create an account in the Overwatch Patient Portal. Please note- these are two SEPARATE accounts. The Patient Portal is how you will manage caregivers, view seizure history, and interact with the App. If you are trying to log into the App and your phone number is not showing as associated with an account, make sure that you have followed the link to create an account in the Patient Portal!
First, make sure that you have caregivers signed up in the Patient Portal. Once logged in, click “Manage Caregivers” and the “Add Caregivers” and follow the registration process. After adding caregivers, the person/people you have chosen will receive an email asking them to confirm they wish to be listed as your caregiver. This is an important note- caregivers must follow the link in their email to confirm and accept being alerted by Overwatch Seizure Detection. If you have followed these steps and are still not receiving test alerts, follow the Troubleshooting Tips in your User Guide.