Wearable Technology Could Prevent COVID-19 Complications and Death for People Recovering at Home

NEW YORK—A new study at Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine will compare the outcomes of people with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who are monitored at home by wearable technology, to people who receive standard outpatient care. The investigators hope to determine if Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) can be used successfully to track symptoms and flag people at risk for getting severely ill, and why.

Jonathan D. Leff, MD, FASE, vice chair, faculty and academic affairs; chief, Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology, Montefiore; and professor of anesthesiology and of cardiovascular & thoracic surgery, Einstein, is leading the study, which will include 150 people being monitored remotely by a team of medical professionals.

The team will keep a constant eye on participants’ health status in real-time, including heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels and temperature, all while watching for any signs of deterioration. Researchers will also enroll 150 people who get standard outpatient care, which consists of self-monitoring and follow-up phone calls from providers. The outcomes of the two groups will then be compared.

“We know that the majority of people with COVID-19 fare well recovering at home,” said Leff. “However, some people may not be comfortable managing their own symptoms or may not notice when their condition gets worse. Our study will help identify abnormal vital signs associated with declining health and hopefully prevent the development of life-threatening complications before it’s too late.”

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