Using wearable devices in clinical trials

Brandy Chittester, chief of clinical operations, IMARC Globally, more than 325 million people own wearable, connected devices, and more than 2.5 billion own smartphones. Using wearable devices in clinical trials can bring huge benefits, however, there are also concerns. Here’s a look at how researchers are using wearable devices — and what you should consider before using them in your own research. How wearable devices are advancing medicine Right now, ClinicalTrials.gov, a global database of clinical trials, lists nearly 200 trials with “wearable devices” or “wearable technology” in the description. This includes wearable devices intended for medical use, as well as testing other medical devices using wearable technology. Here are just a few examples: A study evaluating the utility of Fitbit for diagnosing sleep apnea A study evaluating the feasibility of using Garmin watches to detect atrial fibrillation A study evaluating the feasibility of using a wearable device to improve arm movement in people who have had a stroke A study assessing the effectiveness of a wearable, automated bionic pancreas system that delivers both insulin and glucagon to young children with diabetes Benefits of wearable devices in clinical research Wearable devices can certainly benefit patients, but they can also offer many benefits to clinical researchers. These benefits include: More convenient and less intrusive for participants, since participants can collect data in the com...
Source: Mass Device - Category: Medical Devices Authors: Tags: Blog IMARC Source Type: news