Wearable technology for cardiology: An update and framework for the future

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Digital Health

Background:

• Cardiology has a long history of utilizing wearable medical devices for monitoring.
• The last decade has witnessed a significant proliferation of new wearable technologies.
• These devices are now widely adopted by both healthcare professionals and the general public.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review existing and emerging wearable devices for cardiovascular monitoring.
• To discuss devices measuring activity, heart rate, heart rhythm, and thoracic fluid.
• To propose classification frameworks for understanding wearable technology in healthcare.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of current and emerging wearable medical devices.
• Analysis of device capabilities for monitoring key physiological parameters.
• Development of frameworks for classifying and evaluating wearable technologies.

Main Results:

• Identification of diverse wearable devices for monitoring activity, heart rate, rhythm, and thoracic fluid.
• Presentation of classification frameworks to categorize wearable technologies.
• Discussion of the potential benefits and challenges associated with wearable device integration in healthcare.

Conclusions:

• Wearable devices offer significant potential for improving cardiovascular healthcare.
• Systematic classification is needed to understand and evaluate these technologies.
• Addressing challenges is crucial to fully realize the benefits of wearable medical devices.