Advancements in Wearable Sensor Technologies for Health Monitoring in Terms of Clinical Applications, Rehabilitation,...

Wearable sensor technologies such as inertial measurement units, smartwatches, and multisensor systems have emerged as valuable tools in clinical and real-world health monitoring. These devices enable continuous, noninvasive tracking of gait, mobility, and functional health across diverse populations. However, challenges remain in sensor placement standardization, data processing consistency, and real-world validation.

This systematic review aimed to evaluate recent literature on the clinical and research applications of wearable sensors. Specifically, it investigated how these technologies are used to assess mobility, predict disease risk, and support rehabilitation. It also identified limitations and proposed future research directions.

This review was conducted according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. We searched the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases up to March 9, 2025. Inclusion criteria focused on studies using wearable sensors in clinical or real-world environments. A total of 30 eligible studies were identified for qualitative synthesis. Data extracted included study design, population characteristics, sensor type and placement, machine learning algorithms, and clinical outcomes.

Of the included studies, 43% (13/30) were observational, 27% (8/30) were experimental, and 10% (3/30) were randomized controlled trials. Inertial measurement unit-based sensors were used in 67% (20/30) of the studies, with wrist-worn devices being the most common (13/20, 65%). Machine learning techniques were frequently applied, with random forest (6/30, 20%) and deep learning (5/30, 17%) models predominating. Clinical applications spanned Parkinson disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and frailty, with several studies (4/30, 13%) reporting high predictive accuracy for fall risk and mobility decline (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve up to 0.97).

Wearable sensors show strong potential for mobility monitoring, disease risk assessment, and rehabilitation tracking in clinical and real-world settings. However, challenges remain in standardizing sensor protocols and data analysis. Future research should focus on large-scale, longitudinal studies; harmonized machine learning pipelines; and integration with cloud-based health systems to improve scalability and clinical translation.