Continuous heart monitoring in patients with pulmonary hypertension smartwatches and direct transmission to their electronic health records: A trial design.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary hypertension is a progressive disease for which early treatment interventions are essential. Traditionally, patients undergo periodic clinical assessments. However, recent advances in wearable technology could improve the quality and efficiency of follow-up monitoring in patients with pulmonary hypertension.

TRIAL DESIGN: To our knowledge, this is the first study describing direct data transmission from a smartwatch to patients' electronic health records. It implements a novel update and customised program to continuously and automatically transmit data from a smartwatch to the patient's electronic healthcare records. It will evaluate continuous monitoring in patients with pulmonary hypertension and monitor their physical activity time, heart rate variability, and heart rate at rest and during physical activity via a smartwatch. It will also evaluate the data transmission method, and its data will be assessed by the treating physicians supplemental to clinical practice. Smartwatch integration promises numerous advantages: comprehensive cardiovascular monitoring and improved patient experience. Our continuous smartwatch monitoring approach offers a solution for earlier detection of clinical worsening and could be included as a combined endpoint in future clinical trials. It could improve patient empowerment, enhance precision medicine, and reduce hospitalisations. The user-friendly smartwatch is designed to minimise disruption in daily life.

CONCLUSION: The ability to transfer real-time data from wearable devices to electronic health records could help to transform the treatment of patients with pulmonary hypertension and their follow-up monitoring outside a clinical setting, enhancing the efficiency of healthcare delivery.