The Use of Wearable Devices in Oncology Patients: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Introduction The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the current literature on wearable technologies in oncology patients for the purpose of prognostication, treatment monitoring, and rehabilitation planning. Methods A search was conducted in Medline ALL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, Emcare, CINAHL, Scopus, and Web of Science, up until February 2022. Articles were included if they reported on consumer grade and/or non-commercial wearable devices in the setting of either prognostication, treatment monitoring or rehabilitation. Results We found 199 studies reporting on 18 513 patients suitable for inclusion. One hundred and eleven studies used wearable device data primarily for the purposes of rehabilitation, 68 for treatment monitoring, and 20 for prognostication. The most commonly-reported brands of wearable devices were ActiGraph (71 studies; 36%), Fitbit (37 studies; 19%), Garmin (13 studies; 7%), and ActivPAL (11 studies; 6%). Daily minutes of physical activity were measured in 121 studies (61%), and daily step counts were measured in 93 studies (47%). Adherence was reported in 86 studies, and ranged from 40% to 100%; of these, 63 (74%) reported adherence in excess of 80%. Conclusion Wearable devices may provide valuable data for the purposes of treatment monitoring, prognostication, and rehabilitation. Future studies should investigate live-time monitoring of collected data, which may facilitate directed interventions.

Experiences with Wearable Sensors in Oncology during Treatment: Lessons Learned from Feasibility Research Projects in Denmark

“…Presently, we must learn from existing results and technology accessibility. Chow et al have reported on how many of the studies reported in oncology using wearables focused on rehabilitation and often ended with concluding that in investigations, the live-time monitoring of collected data is missing [56], as is also the case for our studies. However, the research field of eHealth in oncology still seems to be at an early stage, even in some of the high-incidence diseases such as breast cancer.…”