Selecting Wearable Devices to Measure Cardiovascular Functions in Community-Dwelling Adults: Application of a...

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Health
• Biomedical Engineering
• Digital Health

Background:

• Continuous cardiovascular monitoring offers vital health insights.
• Wearable devices provide accessible, non-clinical data collection.
• Selecting appropriate wearables is complex due to device variety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a practical guide for selecting wearable devices for continuous cardiovascular monitoring.
• To assess wearable devices for use in community-dwelling adults with general or minimal chronic conditions.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of 216 wearable devices.
• Assessment based on 5 criteria: continuous monitoring, availability, technical performance, feasibility, and cost.
• Application of COSMIN criteria for technical performance evaluation.

Main Results:

• 136 devices offered continuous monitoring; 53 underwent validation.
• Technical performance varied, with some devices lacking comprehensive validation.
• 20 devices were further assessed for feasibility and cost.
• Apple Watch Series 9, Fitbit Charge 6, Garmin vívosmart 5, and Oura Ring Gen3 identified as suitable.

Conclusions:

• A systematic selection process is crucial for choosing reliable wearable cardiovascular monitoring devices.
• The developed guide can aid researchers, clinicians, and users in device selection.
• This methodology is adaptable for selecting devices for other physiological variables.