Wearable Technologies in Nursing Research: A Bibliometric Analysis.

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Health Informatics
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Wearable technology is increasingly integrated into nursing practice.
• A comprehensive understanding of global research trends, outcomes, and thematic evolution in this field is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore global research outputs, identify trending topics, and analyze the thematic evolution of wearable technology research in nursing.
• To provide insights into key authors, journals, and potential collaborators for future research.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive bibliometric analysis.
• Data sourced from the Web of Science Core Collection (searched July 10, 2024).
• Analysis and visualization performed using Bibliometrix packages in R software.

Main Results:

• 678 studies published between 1997-2024 by 2915 authors across 125 journals.
• Most frequent keywords: "physical activity," "sleep," "actigraphy," "nursing," "fatigue."
• Recent trend topics include "sedentary behavior," "ecological momentary assessment," and "aged." "Dementia" and "pressure injury" are hot topics, while "communication" and "monitoring" are emerging.
• Essential topics identified: "physical activity," "sleep," "wearable," "older adults," and "simulation."

Conclusions:

• The study maps the landscape of wearable technology research in nursing, highlighting core and emerging themes.
• Findings facilitate identification of key contributors and potential collaborations for advancing research in this dynamic field.