Abstract P404: The Virtual Home Clinic: Challenges and Solutions

Longitudinal studies provide rich sources of data to explore early risk factors for future CV diseases. However, cohort participants often move away from their initial recruitment site. Therefore, we are assessing feasibility of mailing of devices to the home for collection of biometric data followed by an in-person assessment to validate the home devices. Participants (N=215) from the Bogalusa Heart Study, National Growth & Health Study and the Princeton Lipid Research Study who were initially enrolled as children in the 1970s and 1980s were recruited. Devices sent to the home ( Table ) measure anthropometrics, BP, HR, heart rhythm, resting metabolic rate, O2 saturation, glucose, total cholesterol, physical activity, diet, sleep duration/quality, and arterial stiffness. Stool and saliva are also collected for microbiome, DNA and cotinine. General issues encountered include institutional firewall requiring permission to load apps on an iPAD, apps requiring wi-fi or an email, complicated instructions for participants, different processes for account setup, data retrieval, cleaning/disinfection, need to delete old data/resetting for each device, and differing exported data file formats requiring extensive programming to import into statistical software. This feasibility study will provide new opportunities to continue to follow our participants who have provided invaluable contributions to science for the last 40 years.