The Accuracy of Wearable Photoplethysmography Sensors for Telehealth Monitoring: A Scoping Review.

Background and Objectives: Photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors have been increasingly used for remote patient monitoring, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, for the management of chronic diseases and neurological disorders. There is an urgent need to evaluate the accuracy of these devices. This scoping review considers the latest applications of wearable PPG sensors with a focus on studies that used wearable PPG sensors to monitor various health parameters. The primary objective is to report the accuracy of the PPG sensors in both real-world and clinical settings. Methods: This scoping review was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA). Studies were identified by querying the Medline, Embase, IEEE, and CINAHL databases. The goal was to capture eligible studies that used PPG sensors to monitor various health parameters for populations with a minimum of 30 participants, with at least some of the population having relevant health issues. A total of 2,996 articles were screened and 28 are included in this review. Results: The health parameters and disorders identified and investigated in this study include heart rate and heart rate variability, atrial fibrillation, blood pressure (BP), obstructive sleep apnea, blood glucose, heart failure, and respiratory rate. An overview of the algorithms used, and their limitations is provided. Conclusion: Some of the barriers identified in evaluating the accuracy of multiple types of wearable devices include the absence of reporting standard accuracy metrics and a general paucity of studies with large subject size in real-world settings, especially for parameters such as BP.

Photoplethysmography Enabled Wearable Devices and Stress Detection: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Mental and physical health are both important for overall health. Mental health includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being; however, it is often difficult to monitor remotely. The objective of this scoping review is to investigate studies that focus on mental health and stress detection and monitoring using PPG-based wearable sensors. METHODS: A literature review for this scoping review was conducted using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for the Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) framework. A total of 290 studies were found in five medical databases (PubMed, Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science). Studies were deemed eligible if non-invasive PPG-based wearables were worn on the wrist or ear to measure vital signs of the heart (heart rate, pulse transit time, pulse waves, blood pressure, and blood volume pressure) and analyzed the data qualitatively. RESULTS: Twenty-three studies met the inclusion criteria, with four real-life studies, eighteen clinical studies, and one joint clinical and real-life study. Out of the twenty-three studies, seventeen were published as journal-based articles, and six were conference papers with full texts. Because most of the articles were concerned with physiological and psychological stress, we decided to only include those that focused on stress. In twelve of the twenty articles, a PPG-based sensor alone was used to monitor stress, while in the remaining eight papers, a PPG sensor was used in combination with other sensors. CONCLUSION: The growing demand for wearable devices for mental health monitoring is evident. However, there is still a significant amount of research required before wearable devices can be used easily and effectively for such monitoring. Although the results of this review indicate that mental health monitoring and stress detection using PPG is possible, there are still many limitations within the current literature, such as a lack of large and diverse studies and ground-truth methods, that need to be addressed before wearable devices can be globally useful to patients.

Examining the Twitter Discourse on Dementia During Alzheimer's Awareness Month in Canada: Infodemiology Study.

BACKGROUND: Twitter has become a primary platform for public health campaigns, ranging from mental health awareness week to diabetes awareness month. However, there is a paucity of knowledge about how Twitter is being used during health campaigns, especially for Alzheimer's Awareness Month. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to examine dementia discourse during Canada's Alzheimer's Awareness Month in January to inform future awareness campaigns. METHODS: We collected 1289 relevant tweets using the Twint application in Python from January 1 to January 31, 2022. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Guided by our analysis, 4 primary themes were identified: dementia education and advocacy, fundraising and promotion, experiences of dementia, and opportunities for future actions. CONCLUSIONS: Although our study identified many educational, promotional, and fundraising tweets to support dementia awareness, we also found numerous tweets with cursory messaging (ie, simply referencing January as Alzheimer's Awareness Month in Canada). While these tweets promoted general awareness, they also highlight an opportunity for targeted educational content to counter stigmatizing messages and misinformation about dementia. In addition, awareness strategies partnering with diverse stakeholders (such as celebrities, social media influencers, and people living with dementia and their care partners) may play a pivotal role in fostering dementia dialogue and education. Further research is needed to develop, implement, and evaluate dementia awareness strategies on Twitter. Increased knowledge, partnerships, and research are essential to enhancing dementia awareness during Canada's Alzheimer's Awareness Month and beyond.

Examining the Impact of COVID-19 on People With Dementia From the Perspective of Family and Friends: Thematic Analysis of Tweets.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic is taking a serious toll on people with dementia. Given the rapidly evolving COVID-19 context, policymakers and practitioners require timely, evidence-informed research to address the changing needs and challenges of people with dementia and their family care partners. OBJECTIVE: Using Twitter data, the objective of this study was to examine the COVID-19 impact on people with dementia from the perspective of their family members and friends. METHODS: Using the Twint application in Python, we collected 6243 relevant tweets over a 15-month time frame. The tweets were divided among 11 coders and analyzed using a 6-step thematic analysis process. RESULTS: Based on our analysis, 3 main themes were identified: (1) frustration and structural inequities (eg, denied dignity and inadequate supports), (2) despair due to loss (eg, isolation, decline, and death), and (3) resiliency, survival, and hope for the future. CONCLUSIONS: As the COVID-19 pandemic persists and new variants emerge, people with dementia and their family care partners are facing complex challenges that require timely interventions. More specifically, tackling COVID-19 challenges requires revisiting pandemic policies and protocols to ensure equitable access to health and support services, recognizing the essential role of family care partners, and providing financial assistance and resources to help support people with dementia in the pandemic. Revaluating COVID-19 policies is critical to mitigating the pandemic's impact on people with dementia and their family care partners.