Portable out‐of‐hospital electrocardiography: A review of current technologies

Abstract

BackgroundAvailability of portable and home‐based electrocardiography (ECG) is an important medical innovation, which has a potential to transform medical care. We performed this review to understand the current state of out‐of‐hospital portable ECG technologies with respect to their scope, ease of use, data transmission capabilities, and diagnostic accuracy.MethodsWe conducted PubMed and Internet searches for “handheld” or “wearable” or “patch” electrocardiography devices to enlist available technologies. We also searched PubMed with names of individual devices to obtain additional citations. We classified available devices as a “single limb lead ECG recording devices” and chest‐lead “ECG recording devices.” If a device used more than three electrodes, it was defined as a conventional electrocardiography or Holter machine and was excluded from this review.ResultsWe identified a total of 15 devices. Overall, only six of these devices (five single lead and one chest lead) featured in published medical literature as identified from PubMed search. A total of 13 citations were available for the single limb lead ECG recording devices and 6 citations for the chest‐lead ECG recording devices.ConclusionsDespite the increase in number of such devices, published biomedical literature regarding their diagnostic accuracy, reproducibility, or utility is scant.

All‐in‐One, Wireless, Stretchable Hybrid Electronics for Smart, Connected, and Ambulatory Physiological Monitoring

“…[10] Furthermore, the application of the devices relies on aggressive acrylic-based adhesives and exposes the patients to potential tissues damages during the removal process-key disadvantage that restricts the use of technology for neonate or young children who have fragile skin conditions. Consequently, there is a high demand for a cardiac monitoring solution that provides not only the acquisition of clinical-grade ECG, but also the form factor non-disruptive to everyday tasks as well as the real-time, continuous analysis of the patient's ECG for both improved diagnosis and timely intervention.…”

Screening for Atrial Fibrillation and the Role of Digital Health Technologies

“…The majority of devices use a single lead, normally analogous to lead I. They do this by providing two electrodes to capture electrical signals from the fingers, thumb, wrist, or palm of each hand [33]. One of the best known is the AliveCor.…”

“…The presence of an enhanced filter provides a much smoother tracing. Studies also suggest that even elderly patients found the device easy to use and that it did not restrict activities or cause anxiety [16,33,36]. It has been shown to be more likely to diagnose a symptomatic underlying rhythm than an HM [37].…”

Personal ECG Devices: How Will Healthcare Systems Cope? A Single Centre Case Study

“…In their 2018 review, Banshal and Joshi identified 15 widely available personal ECG devices, but only six that were associated with Pubmed-listed studies. [11] Three of these are currently intended for prescription by medical professionals and three are available to individual consumers online. Table 1 shows representative prices for the commercially available devices, with the addition of the Apple Series 4 Watch (not included in the 2018 review as it had not been released).…”