The Rise of Wearable Devices during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Digital Health
• Public Health

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted critical gaps in remote patient monitoring, particularly due to close human contact and strained healthcare systems.
• The need for effective remote symptom tracking for COVID-19 patients is paramount, especially in developed nations.
• Internet of Things (IoT) based devices and wearables have emerged as promising solutions for early diagnosis and continuous monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review wearable technologies for remote COVID-19 symptom monitoring.
• To analyze the types, placement, and AI integration of on-body sensors (wearables) in ehealth scenarios.
• To discuss the challenges and solutions for global implementation of wearable healthcare solutions.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review adhering to PRISMA guidelines was conducted.
• Searches were performed across IEEE Xplore, Web of Science, and PubMed Central databases from December 2019 to June 2021.
• Initially 1100 articles were identified, with 70 ultimately included after screening and full evaluation.

Main Results:

• Articles were categorized into on-body sensors (wearables) and global implementation challenges.
• Wearables demonstrated high accuracy in diagnosing the prodromal phase and monitoring key symptoms like respiratory rate, heart rate, and temperature.
• AI technology integration with ehealth wearables was explored for various applications, including screening and contact tracing.

Conclusions:

• Wearable systems offer a viable solution for remote management and automated assessment of COVID-19.
• The reliability and acceptability of implemented wearable technologies are crucial for widespread adoption in healthcare.
• Further research and development are needed to address global implementation challenges for these advanced healthcare tools.