TELEMEDICINE SYSTEM FOR COMBINED MEASUREMENT OF BLOOD PRESSURE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Abstract

Objective: BP values sent to a server by means of home BP telemonitoring (HBPTM) may not always be reliable, because some patients do not remain seated comfortably for at least 5 mins before the BP measurement. This condition can be controlled in the physician's office, but it is not possible in the home environment. Design and method: The HBPTM (PP.16.13 Milan 2017) now allows even detection and evaluation of physical activity in a short-term (5 mins) window before the BP measurement. Physical activity has been measured using Xiaomi MiBand 2 wristband while the BP has been measured using Fora P30 Bluetooth device (BPMD). Level of physical activity has been estimated according to a number of steps. Results: During the pilot testing 7 patients were instructed and equipped with a BPMD, a wristband and the data were sent to the central server via mini-PC or a mobile phone application. During initial 62 days patients performed 1215 BP measurements. In 128 (11%) cases level of physical activity exceeded the threshold and may have influenced the measured BP. 120 cases out of 128 of physical activity before the BP measurement were attributed to a single patient. In 134 (11%) cases patients did not wear the wristband and the physical activity could not be estimated. In 913 (75%) cases patients remained seated before the measurement as instructed. In 40 cases (3%) level of physical activity could not be estimated for other reasons. Conclusions: Presented telemedicine system provides a tool for mitigation of the main problem with the HBPM – the difficulty to secure the standardized conditions under which the BP is measured. Further studies will be carried out to quantify the effect of physical activity on the HBPM.