Our results suggest that integrated care monitoring technologies have a potential for providing improved care and can have positive impact on well-being of the elderly by enabling timely intervention. Long-term BP and pulse oximetry data could indicate exacerbation and lead to effective intervention; physical activity data provided important information on the well-being of patients. However, there remains a need for better understanding of long-term variations in vital signs and activity data to establish intervention protocols for improved disease management.
BackgroundTelehealth solutions can improve the safety of ambulatory chemotherapy, contributing to the maintenance of patients at their home, hence improving their well-being, all the while reducing health care costs. There is, however, need for a practicable multilevel monitoring solution, encompassing relevant outputs involved in the pathophysiology of chemotherapy-induced toxicity. Domomedicine embraces the delivery of complex care and medical procedures at the patient’s home based on modern technologies, and thus it offers an integrated approach for increasing the safety of cancer patients on chemotherapy.ObjectiveThe objective was to evaluate patient compliance and clinical relevance of a novel integrated multiparametric telemonitoring domomedicine platform in cancer patients receiving multidrug chemotherapy at home.MethodsSelf-measured body weight, self-rated symptoms using the 19-item MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI), and circadian rest-activity rhythm recording with a wrist accelerometer (actigraph) were transmitted daily by patients to a server via the Internet, using a dedicated platform installed at home. Daily body weight changes, individual MDASI scores, and relative percentage of activity in-bed versus out-of-bed (I
The dichotomy index (I < O), a quantitative estimate of the circadian regulation of daytime activity and sleep, predicted overall cancer survival and emergency hospitalization, supporting its integration in a mHealth platform. Modifiable causes of I < O deterioration below 97.5%—(I < O)low—were sought in 25 gastrointestinal cancer patients and 33 age- and sex-stratified controls. Rest-activity and temperature were tele-monitored with a wireless chest sensor, while daily activities, meals, and sleep were self-reported for one week. Salivary cortisol rhythm and dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) were determined. Circadian parameters were estimated using Hidden Markov modelling, and spectral analysis. Actionable predictors of (I < O)low were identified through correlation and regression analyses. Median compliance with protocol exceeded 95%. Circadian disruption—(I < O)low—was identified in 13 (52%) patients and four (12%) controls (p = 0.002). Cancer patients with (I < O)low had lower median activity counts, worse fragmented sleep, and an abnormal or no circadian temperature rhythm compared to patients with I < O exceeding 97.5%—(I < O)high—(p < 0.012). Six (I < O)low patients had newly-diagnosed sleep conditions. Altered circadian coordination of rest-activity and chest surface temperature, physical inactivity, and irregular sleep were identified as modifiable determinants of (I < O)low. Circadian rhythm and sleep tele-monitoring results support the design of specific interventions to improve outcomes within a patient-centered systems approach to health care.
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