University of California San Diego engineers developed a remote monitoring platform for COVID-19 patients that automates the care team's daily check-ins to monitor symptoms.
The eCOVID remote monitoring platform automatically transmits data from patients' wearable devices and uploads it to a dashboard that providers can monitor. COVID-19 patients who are not in need of hospitalization are sent home to recover, and the wearable device they are given continuously monitors their vital signs such as heart rate and oxygen saturation levels.
Patients also complete a daily questionnaire about their symptoms using the eCOVID app, which is interactive with the dashboard. This allows guidance and alerts to be sent to both the care team and patients. Providers can also send feedback to the patient through the app.
"The eCOVID app provides us with concrete information daily regarding each patient's clinical status, allowing us to prioritize who needs to be personally contacted that day," said Michele Ritter, MD, an infectious diseases specialist at UC San Diego Health and director of the COVID-19 telemedicine clinic. "It also gives patients peace of mind knowing that they are being monitored and can quickly convey any changes in their status to our COVID team."