Patient perspectives of wearable sensors: a mixed methods evaluation (Preprint)
BACKGROUND Continuous vital sign monitoring using wearable sensors may enable earlier detection of patient deterioration and sepsis. OBJECTIVE To explore patient experiences of wearable sensor technology and continuous monitoring through questionnaire and interview studies. METHODS All patients recruited for a wearable sensor study were asked to complete a study questionnaire. Patients were asked 9 questions with answers on Likert scale and scores were treated as continuous variables. A subgroup of surgical patients wearing the wearable sensor were invited to take part in semi-structured interviews. All interview data was analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS A total of 453 patients completed the patient questionnaire (90.6% response rate). A high proportion of patients agreed the wearable sensor was comfortable to wear (n=427, 85.4%), they would wear the patch again when in hospital (n=429, 85.8%) and they would wear the wearable patch at home (n=398, 79.6%). Twelve surgical patients consented to interviews. Five main themes of interest to patients emerged from the interviews; 1) Centralised monitoring 2) enhanced feelings of patient safety, 3) impact on nursing staff 4) comfort & usability and 5) the future and views on technology. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the feedback from patients using wearable monitoring was strongly positive with relatively few concerns raised. Patients feel wearable sensors improve their sense of safety, may relieve pressure on healthcare staff and are a welcome part of future healthcare