ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The use of mobile devices in clinical research has advanced substantially in recent years due to the rapid pace of technology development. With an overall aim of informing the future use of mobile devices in interventional clinical research to measure primary outcomes, we conducted a systematic review of the use of and clinical outcomes measured by mobile devices (mobile outcomes) in observational and interventional clinical research. METHOD: We conducted a PubMed search using a range of search terms to retrieve peer-reviewed articles on clinical research published between January 2010 and May 2016 in which mobile devices were used to measure study outcomes. We screened each publication for specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. We then identified and qualitatively summarized the use of mobile outcome assessments in clinical research, including the type and design of the study, therapeutic focus, type of mobile device(s) used, and specific mobile outcomes reported. RESULTS: The search retrieved 2,530 potential articles of interest. After screening, 88 publications remained. Twenty-five percent of the publications (n = 22) described mobile outcomes used in interventional research, and the rest (n = 66) described observational clinical research. Thirteen therapeutic areas were represented. Five categories of mobile devices were identified: (1) inertial sensors, (2) biosensors, (3) pressure sensors and walkways, (4) medication adherence monitors, and (5) location monitors; inertial sensors/accelerometers were most common (reported in 86% of the publications). Among the variety of mobile outcomes, various assessments of physical activity were most common (reported in 74% of the publications). Other mobile outcomes included assessments of sleep, mobility, and pill adherence, as well as biomarkers assessed using a mobile device, including cardiac measures, glucose, gastric reflux, respiratory measures, and intensity of head-related injury. CONCLUSION: Mobile devices are being widely used in clinical research to assess outcomes, although their use in interventional research to assess therapeutic effectiveness is limited. For mobile devices to be used more frequently in pivotal interventional research - such as trials informing regulatory decision-making - more focus should be placed on: (1) consolidating the evidence supporting the clinical meaningfulness of specific mobile outcomes, and (2) standardizing the use of mobile devices in clinical research to measure specific mobile outcomes (e.g., data capture frequencies, placement of device). To that aim, this manuscript offers a broad overview of the various mobile outcome assessments currently used in observational and interventional research, and categorizes and consolidates this information for researchers interested in using mobile devices to assess outcomes in interventional research.
ABSTRACT
Implantable cardiac devices have become the mainstay of the treatment of patients with heart disease. However, data regarding their reliability and, inferentially, safety have been called into question. We reviewed annual reports submitted to the Food and Drug Administration Office of Device Evaluation by device manufacturers from 2003 to 2007. The annual number of implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) implants, explants, and returned devices were tabulated along with the cumulative (Cum) number of implants for each device. We derived an annual explantation rate (AER) defined as the ratio of the annual number of explants less the number of normal battery depletions/Cum (×1000). From 2003 to 2007, 256,392 CRT-D and 459,300 ICD devices were implanted in the United States. The overall mean (±SD) AERs for ICD and CRT-D devices were, respectively, 49.5 (15.6) per 1000 ICD devices and 82.6 (35.5) per 1000 CRT-D devices. The AER for each device type significantly decreased over the study period (P for trend <0.001) although the AER for CRT-D devices was 38% higher than that for ICD devices (P < 0.001). On average, 20.3% of CRT-D devices and 22.6% of ICD devices were returned to the manufacturer for analysis after explantation. The rates of explanted CRT-D and ICD devices decreased from 2003 to 2007. Notwithstanding this favorable trend, the AER for CRT-D devices was higher than that for ICD devices. Improved methods for tracking individual device histories are needed for more precise estimates of the risk of device explantation for suspected malfunction. The proportion of devices returned to the manufacturer is suboptimal and needs to be improved to better understand the mechanisms of device malfunction.