JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Head and neck cancer survivors face profound functional and quality-of-life challenges due to disease- and treatment-related sequelae, such as dysphagia, and communication deficits. Wearable technology offers a novel avenue to address these unique needs by enabling personalized monitoring and rehabilitation.

Objective:

To explore the current applications of wearable technology in the head and neck oncology literature.

Methods:

A scoping review was conducted following “preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses extension for scoping reviews” (PRIMSA-ScR). A search strategy was built, and a literature search was performed using five databases (PubMed, Embase, OVID Medline, CINAHL Plus, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews). Only peer-reviewed, English-language articles utilizing wearable technology in head and neck oncology published between January 2002 to April 2024 were considered for inclusion.

Results:

A total of 9 articles out of 5256 studies screened were determined to be eligible for inclusion in this review. The included studies examined three main types of wearable devices: radioactivity, physical activity, and throat physiology monitors. Radioactivity monitors were correlated with conventional measurements and may allow for personalized radiation dose estimation. Physical activity monitors demonstrated an association between low step counts and increased radiation related toxicity, reduced quality of life, increased hospital admission rates, and feeding tube placement. External throat sensors demonstrated the potential for detecting swallowing events and translating extra-laryngeal muscle activity into speech. Barriers to wearable use included wearable discomfort, technical difficulties, and patient withdrawal due to radiotherapy or chemotherapy side effects.

Conclusions:

Wearable technology in head and neck oncology may augment treatment monitoring and prognostication. Ongoing focus on wearable technology focused on speech and swallow may aid rehabilitation efforts. However, further efforts are needed to address how best to integrate wearable technology and data into clinical care.