Wearable Devices Are Well Accepted by Patients in the Study and Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Survey Study

Abstract

Background: Wearable devices are designed to capture health-related and physiological data. They may be able to improve inflammatory bowel disease management and address evolving research needs. Little is known about patient perceptions for their use in the study and management of inflammatory bowel disease.

Aims: The aim of this survey study is to understand patient preferences and interest in wearable technology.

Methods: Consecutive adult patients who self-reported having inflammatory bowel disease were approached at the Susan and Leonard Feinstein Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at the Mount Sinai Hospital to complete a 28-question survey. Reponses were analyzed with descriptive statistics. The Pearson Chi-square test and Fischer's exact test were used to determine the association between demographic and disease-related features and survey responses.

Results: Four hundred subjects completed the survey. 42.7% of subjects reported prior or current use of wearable devices. 89.0% of subjects believed that wearable devices can provide important information about their health, while 93.8% reported that they would use a wearable device if it could help their doctor manage their IBD. Subjects identified wrist-worn devices as the preferred device type and a willingness to wear these devices at least daily.

Conclusions: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease believe that wearable devices can provide important information about their health and report a willingness to wear them frequently in research studies and as part the routine management of inflammatory bowel disease.

Keywords: Crohn’s disease; Inflammatory bowel disease; Survey; Ulcerative colitis; Wearable device.