Continuous vital sign monitoring with Biobeat® wearable devices for post-ambulatory surgery patients: a pilot feasibility study.

Improvement in anesthesia and surgical practices has enabled more patients, including those undergoing higher-risk surgeries, to be treated in outpatient settings. This shift creates a need for reliable postoperative monitoring at home. Wearable devices like the Biobeat^® offer continuous, real-time monitoring of vital signs have remained largely untested for home use in this context.A prospective, single-center observational study was conducted at the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) from February to August 2023. Fifty eligible patients underwent continuous monitoring with the Biobeat^® device for five days post-surgery, with data transmitted to CHUM's telehealth service. Feasibility was assessed by the percentage of patients without data loss during consecutive 2-hour intervals.Of the 50 patients enrolled, 49 completed the study, but all experienced some level of data loss. While 39.6% of patients maintained connectivity without complete data loss for 6-8-hour intervals, challenges included device discomfort, Bluetooth disconnection, and connectivity issues. Thirteen patients removed the device early due to discomfort or technical issues. Of the 3 patients who experienced post-operative complications, no data was available within 24 h prior to the episodes. Continuous vital signs monitoring is feasible for high-risk outpatient surgery patients; however, significant improvements are required in device reliability and data accessibility. Further studies are needed to refine the technology and develop reliable protocols for postoperative monitoring in the home setting.