NExUS-Heart: Novel examinations using smart technologies for heart health—Data sharing from commercial wearable devices and telehealth engagement in participants with or at risk of atrial fibrillation

Background Telemedicine and commercial wearable devices capable of detecting atrial fibrillation (AF) have revolutionized arrhythmia care during coronavirus disease 2019. However, not much is known about virtual patient-provider interactions or device sharing behaviors. Objective The purpose of this study was to characterize how participants with or at risk of AF are engaging with their providers in the context of telemedicine and using commercially wearable devices to manage their health. Methods We developed a survey to describe participant behaviors around telemedicine encounters and commercial wearable device use. The survey was distributed to participants diagnosed with AF or those at risk of AF (as determined by being at least 65 years old and having a CHA2DS2-VASc stroke risk score of >2) in the University of Massachusetts Memorial Health Care system. Results The survey was distributed to 23,530 patients, and there were 1222 participant responses. Among the participants, 327 had AF and 895 were at risk of AF. Neither device ownership nor device type use differed by AF status. After adjusting for covariates that may influence surveyed participant communication patterns, we found that participants with AF were more likely to share their device-derived data with providers (adjusted odds ratio 1.87; 95% confidence interval 1.02–3.41). Rates of sharing physical activity or sleep data were low for both groups and did not differ by AF status. Conclusion Compared with participants at risk of developing AF, those with AF were more likely to share heart rate and rhythm data from their commercial wearable devices with providers. However, both groups had similar rates of sharing physical activity and sleep data, telemedicine engagement, and technology use and ownership.