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Optimal management of infectious diseases is guided by up-to-date information at the individual and public health levels. For infections of global importance, including emerging pandemics such as COVID-19 or prevalent endemic diseases such as dengue, identifying patients at risk of severe disease and clinical deterioration can be challenging, considering that the majority present with a mild illness. In our article, we describe the use of wearable technology for continuous physiological monitoring in healthcare settings. Deployment of wearables in hospital settings for the management of infectious diseases, or in the community to support syndromic surveillance during outbreaks, could provide significant, cost-effective advantages and improve healthcare delivery. We highlight a range of promising technologies employed by wearable devices and discuss the technical and ethical issues relating to implementation in the clinic, focusing on low- and middle- income countries. Finally, we propose a set of essential criteria for the rollout of wearable technology for clinical use.

Original publication

DOI

10.1016/j.ijid.2020.05.086

Type

Journal

International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases

Publication Date

07/2020

Volume

96

Pages

648 - 654

Addresses

NIHR-Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance, Imperial College London, UK; Centre for Antimicrobial Optimisation (CAMO), Imperial College London, UK. Electronic address: d.ming@imperial.ac.uk.

Keywords

Humans, Pneumonia, Viral, Coronavirus Infections, Monitoring, Physiologic, Longitudinal Studies, Communicable Disease Control, Hospitals, Delivery of Health Care, Pandemics, Betacoronavirus, Wearable Electronic Devices, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2