Abstract
BackgroundAdvances in technology have made the development of remote patient monitoring possible in recent years. However, there is still room for innovation in the types of technologies that are developed, used, and implemented. The smart thermostat solutions provided in this study can expand beyond typically defined features and be used for improved holistic health monitoring purposes.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to validate the hypothesis that remote motion sensors could be used to quantify and track an individual’s movements around the house. On the basis of our results, the next step would be to determine if using remote motion sensors could be a novel data collection method compared with the national census-level surveys administered by governmental bodies. The results will be used to inform a more extensive implementation study of similar smart home technologies to gather data for machine learning algorithms and to build upon pattern recognition and comprehensive health monitoring.MethodsWe conducted a pilot study with a sample size of 8 to validate the use of remote motion sensors to quantify movement in the house. A large database containing data from smart home thermostats was analyzed to compare the following indicators; sleep, physical activity, and sedentary behavior. These indicators were developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada and are collected through traditional survey methods.ResultsThe results showed a significant Spearman rank correlation coefficient of 0.8 (P<.001), which indicates a positive linear association between the total number of sensors activated and the total number of indoor steps traveled by study participants. In addition, the indicators of sleep, physical activity, and sedentary behavior were all found to be highly comparable with those attained by the Public Health Agency of Canada.ConclusionsThe findings demonstrate that remote motion sensors data from a smart thermostat solution are a viable option when compared with traditional survey data collection methods for health data collection and are also a form of zero-effort technology that can be used to monitor the activity levels and nature of activity of occupants within the home.
Highlights
BackgroundRemote patient monitoring (RPM) involves digital technologies used to collect and transmit medical and health data from individuals to health care providers for assessments and recommendations [1,2]
The core strength of this surveillance method is that it utilizes zero-effort technology (ZET) [14] that requires no effort from users
A few random or unexplained activations may be caused by internal movements of items in the house, such as a moving curtain or a bird flying by a window that faced a sensor
Summary
BackgroundRemote patient monitoring (RPM) involves digital technologies used to collect and transmit medical and health data from individuals to health care providers for assessments and recommendations [1,2]. A large database containing data from smart home thermostats was analyzed to compare the following indicators; sleep, physical activity, and sedentary behavior. These indicators were developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada and are collected through traditional survey methods. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate that remote motion sensors data from a smart thermostat solution are a viable option when compared with traditional survey data collection methods for health data collection and are a form of zero-effort technology that can be used to monitor the activity levels and nature of activity of occupants within the home
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