JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a leading cause of mortality in the developed world. Timely detection of cardiac arrest and prompt activation of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are essential, yet challenging. Automated cardiac arrest detection using sensor signals from smartwatches has the potential to shorten the interval between cardiac arrest and activation of EMS, thereby increasing the likelihood of survival.

Objective:

This cross-sectional survey study aims to identify potential barriers and obstacles from the users’ perspective regarding this technology.

Methods:

We conducted a cross-sectional online survey in the Netherlands among two groups of potential users of automated cardiac arrest technology: consumers who already own a smartwatch and patients at-risk of cardiac arrest. Surveys primarily consisted of closed-ended questions with some additional open-ended questions to provide supplementary insight. The quantitative data was analyzed descriptively and a thematic analysis of the open-ended questions was conducted.

Results:

In the consumer group (N=1005), 90.2% (95% confidence interval: 88.1% to 91.9%) of the consumer group expressed an interest in the technology and 89.0% (87.3% to 90.7%) of the patient group (N=1344) showed interest. More than 75% of the participants in both groups indicated they are willing to use the technology. The main concerns raised by participants regarding the technology include privacy, data protection, reliability, and accessibility of the technology.

Conclusions:

The vast majority of potential users express a strong interest in and positive attitude towards automated cardiac arrest detection using smartwatch technology. However, a number of concerns were identified, which should be addressed in the development and implementation process to optimize acceptance and effectiveness of the technology.