Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Apr 12, 2021
Date Accepted: May 3, 2021
Date Submitted to PubMed: May 4, 2021
Monitoring health care workers at risk for COVID-19 using wearable sensors and smartphone technology: Protocol for an observational mobile health study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Health care workers (HCWs) have been working in the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic with high risks of viral exposure, infection, and transmission. Standard COVID-19 testing is insufficient to protect HCWs from these risks and prevent the spread of disease. Continuous monitoring of physiological data with wearable sensors, self-monitoring of symptoms, and asymptomatic COVID testing may aid in the early detection of COVID-19 in HCWs and may help reduce further transmission among HCWs, patients, and families.
Objective:
By using wearable sensors, smartphone-based symptom logging, and biospecimens, this project aimed to assist HCWs in self-monitoring of COVID-19.
Methods:
We conducted a prospective, longitudinal study of HCWs at a single institution. Study duration was one year, wherein participants were instructed on the continuous use of two wearable sensors (Fitbit Charge 3 smartwatch and TempTraq temperature patches) for up to 30-days. Participants consented to providing biospecimens (e.g., nasal swabs, saliva swabs, blood) for up to one year from study entry. Using a smartphone app called Roadmap 2.0, participants entered a daily mood score, submitted daily COVID-19 symptoms, and completed demographic and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) surveys at study entry and 30 days later. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were also conducted at the end of the 30-day period, following completion of daily mood and symptoms reporting as well as continuous wearable sensor use.
Results:
Two hundred twenty-six HCWs were enrolled between April 28, 2020 and December 07, 2020. The last participant completed the 30-day study procedures on January 16, 2021. Data collection will continue through January 2023, and data analyses are ongoing.
Conclusions:
Using wearable sensors, smartphone-based symptom logging and survey completion, and biospecimen collections, this study will potentially provide data on the prevalence of COVID-19 infection among HCWs at a single institution. The study will also assess the feasibility of leveraging wearable sensors and self-monitoring of symptoms in a HCW population. Clinical Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov #NCT04756869
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