Remote monitoring of vital and activity parameters in chronic transfusion dependent patients: a case-crossover pilot using wearable biosensors (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Little is known if and to what extent outpatient RBC transfusions benefit chronic transfusion dependent patients. Costs, labour, and small but remaining side effects of RBC transfusions cause restrictive transfusions strategy to be the standard of care. However, the actual performance and quality of life of patients who require RBC’s on a regular basis are hardly accounted for. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to understand how new technologies and techniques like wearable biosensor devices and web-based testing can be used to measure physiological changes and functional activity in a cohort of transfusion-dependent patients. METHODS We monitored 5 patients who regularly receive transfusions during one transfusion cycle with the VitalPatch biosensor, the Withings Steel HR, and web-based cognitive and quality of life testing. RESULTS The deployed devices rendered qualitative and usable data. Heart rate and cognition showed to be significantly improved by RBC transfusions. Activity and quality of life measures did not show transfusion-induced changes. CONCLUSIONS The accelerateIQ platform, Withings Steel HR, and the CANTAB platform are usable for extracting and analysing data. Red cell transfusions significantly and reversibly decrease heart rate and increase sustained attention in our cohort of five red cell transfusion-dependent patients.