A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has found that using mHealth wearable devices such as smartwatches can increase healthcare use in patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF).The study, conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Utah, Dartmouth College, the University of Colorado, Vanderbilt University, and the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, focused on 16,320 patients diagnosed with AF who regularly monitored their pulse rates. Of that group, 348 used mHealth wearables.
''Wearables are an increasing part of health care delivery, particularly in the fields of electrophysiology and cardiology,'' the study concludes. Many patients with or without AF use wearables for self-directed management or in conjunction with the health care delivery system, so it is important to understand the association of these devices with health outcomes and health care use. This study's finding suggests that wearable use among patients with AF is associated with increased health care use and support the need for randomized clinical trials to measure the impact of wearables on health outcomes and use among patients with AF.
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