Wearable technology along with telehealth has extended clinical monitoring to patients’ homes. More and more patients are accepting remote medical care. A University of Washington Medicine-led study published in the Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics explored whether or not women would be willing to use ECG devices during pregnancy. ECG devices could monitor fetal well-being and improve pregnancy outcomes. The study conducted in 45 of 50 U.S. states among women ages 18-45 showed that most women were willing to use wearables to help their healthcare providers monitor maternal fetal health.
A cohort of 508 women of reproductive age was included in the survey. About half of the participants (50.9%) reported that they planned to become pregnant in the next 5 years. Of these 50.9% women, 46.9% expressed willingness to wear an ECG device full-time during pregnancy, whereas 31.4% said they could only wear it during bedtime. Most participants showed an inclination to spend $100 to $200 for an at-home ECG device.
Wearing such devices at home during pregnancy could help healthcare teams monitor mother and fetal health leading to improved prenatal health services and decrease in childbirth mortality.
