Do not disturb: Use of wearable biosensor technology to minimize sleep disruptions in patients with hematological...

Patients with hematological malignancies frequently suffer from sleep disruptions during hospitalization, primarily due to frequent night-time interventions such as vital signs monitoring, which occurs at least three times during the night shift. Consequently, the sleep of these patients is interrupted each time a nurse checks their vitals. Minimizing disturbances to sleep in cancer patients is essential, as poor sleep quality has been associated with poorer responses to treatment and reduced overall survival (Strøm et al., 2022). This paper proposes the use of wearable biosensor technology over night in the inpatient setting to monitor patients' vital signs remotely and, thus, minimize disruptions to their sleep. The importance of improving sleep in this patient population and the potential for use of this technology necessitates further research on the analytical and clinical validity of wearable biosensors for use with hospitalized malignant hematology patients. The paper concludes with future recommendations and implications of this technology for the nursing profession.