Wearable chest patch could bring hospital-level care to homes

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 18 Oct, 06:08 · Archive

A wearable patch measuring heart and breathing rates could allow hospitals to monitor patients remotely at home.

Researchers from the Universities of Oxford and Warwick believe a wearable chest patch could help deliver hospital-level care at home. The VitalPatch is a chest device that measures heart and breathing rates for up to seven days, with data transmitted in real time to hospital teams. The device could improve patient monitoring and reduce the need for repeated manual checks for people receiving acute care in their own homes.

The study, supported by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre: Oxford, involved 26 adult patients using Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's acute Hospital at Home service. Participants had a range of acute illnesses, including chest and urinary tract infections, heart failure, and acute kidney injury.

Dr Rachel Greer, lead author and academic GP at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, said the study showed it is possible for hospital healthcare teams to monitor people at home using clinical grade wearable devices, particularly those requiring little active involvement from patients. The researchers found that more data were received from the automated wearable patch than when patients had to record measurements themselves. Greer acknowledged the study was small and non-randomised, conducted in one NHS trust, but suggested wearable devices offer a practical way to monitor patients remotely.

How it is being reported

• Chest patch could help bring hospital-level care into homesResearchers from the Universities of Oxford and Warwick believe a wearable chest patch could help deliver hospital-level care at home.Oxford Mail · 18 Oct, 05:00
• Chest patch could help bring hospital-level care into homesResearchers from the Universities of Oxford and Warwick believe a wearable chest patch could help deliver hospital-level care at home.Oxfordshire Guardian · 18 Oct, 05:00

In this story: University of Oxford · University of Warwick · Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust · Dr Rachel Greer · Oxford

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem