How to choose a vendor for vital signs monitoring

Vital signs monitoring has shifted from a nice-to-have into a core component of modern healthcare, telemedicine, wellness, and insurance workflows. As the market grows, so does the number of vendors offering everything from hardware-based devices to smartphone-only AI solutions.

With so many options, it can be challenging to determine which vendor can truly meet your operational, clinical, and user experience needs. This guide is designed to help you evaluate providers with clarity — and understand where certain technologies and architectures offer long-term advantages.

You can download a handy vendor verification checklist here.

Understanding your monitoring needs

Before choosing a vendor, it’s important to map out what you truly need to measure, and why. Different organizations require different levels of detail, precision, and frequency depending on their goals and user journeys.

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Which metrics matter - and for whom?

Different markers support different use cases:

- Heart Rate (HR) and Respiratory Rate (RR) are foundational for nearly all applications.

- Heart Rate Variability (HRV) supports stress, recovery, and early deterioration insights.

- Blood Pressure (BP) is critical for chronic care, telehealth triage, cardiovascular prevention, and digital underwriting.

- Stress index is popular in wellness, mental health, and employer programs.

- Trends and baselines support longitudinal programs and early detection.

The metrics you require depend on whether your service aims to:

- Engage users

- Support clinicians

- Manage chronic conditions

- Assess risk

- Enable device-free screenings

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Different use cases require different levels of rigor

Vital signs monitoring can serve very different purposes depending on where it’s deployed. A wellness app may only need high-level insights to keep users engaged, while a telehealth provider requires clinically dependable readings delivered in seconds. RPM programs depend on consistent adherence over long periods, and insurers need objective, unbiased measurements they can trust for large and diverse populations.

Each of these scenarios places different demands on your monitoring solution. Clarifying your use case helps you judge whether a vendor’s technology is built for the level of rigor your workflow actually requires.

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Key criteria for vendor evaluation

Once you’ve defined your monitoring needs and shortlisted potential vendors, the next step is evaluating how well each provider can deliver accuracy, inclusivity, and real-world reliability - all without creating friction for users or your internal teams.

Below are key qualities to look for in any modern vital signs monitoring solution.

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Accuracy and validation

Accuracy is essential, regardless of setting. When evaluating a provider, ask for:

- Independent validation studies

- Peer-reviewed research

- Benchmarking against medical-grade devices

- Performance broken down by skin tone, lighting, and age

- Results in real-world environments, not only lab conditions

Most vendors today rely on a single modality (usually rPPG). While it performs well under ideal conditions, it tends to be more sensitive to motion and lighting.

Shen AI now combines two complementary modalities (e.g., rPPG + rBCG) to improve stability, reduce noise, and deliver more consistent results across varied users and environments. This dual-modality approach helps bridge gaps that single-modality systems can’t fully address.

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Technology that removes friction

Even the most accurate model won’t help if users won’t use it.

Questions to consider:

- Does the solution require dedicated hardware?

- How easy is it for a user to take a measurement?

- How much training or instruction is required?

- What happens when users are in non-ideal environments?

Hardware (cuffs, wearables, patches) adds cost, complexity, and logistics — and is associated with lower long-term adherence.

Software-only, camera-based solutions reduce friction dramatically because users rely on a device they already own: a smartphone or laptop. Vendors that support no-contact, 30-second scans tend to see higher engagement over time.

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Integration, security, and scalability

Look for providers offering:

- A modern, well-documented SDK/API

- Clear example apps and testing tools

- Support for iOS, Android, and web

- Quick integration timelines (weeks, not months)

- Flexible pricing and deployment models

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Data protection is equally important.

Shen AI performs all video processing directly on the user’s device, so the camera feed never leaves the user’s phone or browser. Only the anonymized vitals are transmitted.

This architecture significantly reduces privacy risk and simplifies compliance requirements:

- No raw video data is uploaded or stored

- No third party processes identifiable imagery

- The monitoring layer itself does not require HIPAA or GDPR certifications, since it does not collect or transmit sensitive biometric data - it works on the user’s device.

You retain control of the output data; the user retains control of their image. Both benefit from a privacy-by-design model that is inherently safer than cloud-based processing.

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Inclusivity and equitable performance

Vital signs monitoring must work for everyone, not just ideal conditions.

When assessing vendors, ask:

- How does the system perform across Fitzpatrick 1–6 skin tones?

- How does it handle low light or imperfect lighting?

- What is the success rate for users with different ages or device types?

Equitable monitoring is essential for clinical safety, underwriting fairness, and user trust. Systems trained or optimized for only narrow demographic groups can introduce hidden biases.

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Comprehensive insights

Not all platforms measure the same things.

As you compare vendors, look at:

- Which vital signs are included

- Whether BP, HRV, and stress indices are available

- Whether trend analysis or baselines are supported

- How quickly results are delivered

- Whether additional markers can be added as needs evolve

Some solutions deliver only HR and RR. Others provide a more comprehensive set of cardiometabolic indicators. For example, Shen AI can deliver over 30 markers from a single 30-second scan and some user information but the more important point is making sure that the vendor you choose delivers the specific indicators your workflows depend on.

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How to verify vendor claims

Once you’ve narrowed down your shortlist, the next step is to validate whether a vendor’s technology can deliver what it promises. A strong provider should make this process easy, transparent, and data-driven.

Ask for real accuracy evidence

Request validation summaries, accuracy reports, and benchmarking against gold-standard medical devices. Pay attention to:

- Mean Absolute Error (MAE) for each metric

- Performance across different skin tones

- Results in non-ideal environments

- Data from real users, not only lab tests

Transparent vendors will share this openly.

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Test the technology in your own environment

A live demo is helpful, but may not be enough. Ask for:

- Access to an SDK or sandbox environment

- A small pilot with a representative user group

- Measurement success rates and time-to-result

This often reveals real-world strengths and limitations that don’t appear in controlled demos.

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Evaluate vendor responsiveness

During testing, pay attention to how quickly and clearly the provider responds to technical questions. A great vendor behaves like a partner - not just a supplier.

The goal of this stage is simple: verify claims with evidence, not assumptions.

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Cost vs long-term value

When comparing vendors, cost isn’t determined only by the price per scan. What matters is how many usable measurements you actually get - and how many users will realistically complete them.

There are two factors to consider:

1. Measurement success rate

This is the percentage of scans that produce a valid result. It varies significantly between vendors and is fully measurable upfront. High failure rates increase your effective cost per successful reading.

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2. Expected user follow-through

Even the best system won’t deliver value if users avoid using it. Adherence depends heavily on friction: device setup, required hardware, scan time, lighting sensitivity, and overall user effort. While adherence can’t be predicted perfectly, you can evaluate the factors that influence it and review vendor data from similar deployments.

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Why this matters for budgeting

A lower-cost vendor with a low success rate or high user friction may produce far fewer usable readings — making the effective cost higher. A solution that is easy to use and technically robust delivers more successful measurements and therefore more value.

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Beyond cost: the operational and clinical impact

Low adherence also creates ripple effects that increase cost indirectly:

- Missed deteriorations and fewer early warnings

- Lower clinical confidence

- Reduced retention in wellness or chronic care programs

- Inaccurate trend data

- More staff follow-up and reminder workflows

- Lower underwriting reliability

- Higher churn in digital health apps

A solution that people actually use consistently is almost always the better long-term investment.

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How to use this insight when evaluating vendors

When reviewing proposals, ask vendors for:

- Average measurement success rate

- Real-world adherence data

- Time-to-result

- Failure rate in non-ideal conditions

- Demographic performance breakdowns

These metrics can matter more than the price on the invoice.

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Conclusion

The right vital signs monitoring provider will not only meet your current requirements but position you for future growth across care models, user populations, and geographies. Prioritize accuracy, inclusivity, privacy-by-design, and low-friction user experience. Look for transparency, evidence, and a technology architecture built for real-world diversity and scale.

And as you evaluate options, remember: the best vendor is the one whose solution fits seamlessly into your workflows, delivers consistent value for your users, and supports your long-term vision for digital health

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