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Wearable Devices, Health Care Use, and Psychological Well-Being in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation
Lindsey Rosman1, Rachel Lampert2, Songcheng Zhuo3
1Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill NC USA.
Journal of the American Heart Association
|July 16, 2024
Summary
Wearable devices increase symptom monitoring and health care use in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. This may lead to increased anxiety and treatment concerns, necessitating further research into their overall impact.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Digital Health
- Patient Monitoring
Background:
- Wearable devices are increasingly adopted by atrial fibrillation (AF) patients for managing their condition.
- The impact of these wearables on healthcare utilization and patient psychological well-being remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between wearable device use and healthcare utilization in AF patients.
- To examine the effects of wearable cardiac monitoring features on patient behavior and psychological well-being.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective, propensity-matched study merging survey and electronic health record data.
- Comparison of healthcare use (inpatient/outpatient visits, testing, procedures) and informal care use (calls, portal messages) between wearable users and non-users over 9 months.
- Analysis of specific wearable features like heart rate alerts and ECG on patient behavior.
Main Results:
- Wearable users reported higher symptom monitoring, preoccupation, and AF treatment concerns compared to non-users.
- 20% of wearable users experienced anxiety, often contacting doctors after irregular rhythm notifications.
- Wearable users showed significantly greater AF-specific healthcare use (ECGs, echocardiograms, ablation) and informal care resource utilization.
Conclusions:
- Wearable use in AF patients is linked to increased symptom monitoring, preoccupation, healthcare use, and informal care seeking.
- Further prospective, randomized studies are essential to determine the net effects of wearables and their alerts on patients, providers, and the healthcare system.
