Patients hospitalized with cardiovascular disease require timely detection of clinical deterioration to prevent adverse outcomes. Standard inpatient care relies on intermittent nursing vital-sign measurements performed every 4 to 8 hours, which can miss hemodynamic or arrhythmic events occurring between measurements. This trial evaluates whether digital wearable-based monitoring - wireless continuous measurement of vital signs and electrocardiography with a real-time alerting system - reduces major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) compared with standard intermittent monitoring in patients hospitalized for cardiovascular disease. The trial uses a stepped-wedge cluster-randomized design in which four inpatient ward zones (clusters) are sequentially transitioned from standard care to wearable monitoring over five periods.
Study design: This is a prospective, stepped-wedge cluster-randomized, open-label trial with blinded endpoint adjudication, designed to test the superiority of wearable-based monitoring over standard care. Unit of randomization: The unit of randomization is the inpatient ward zone (cluster), not the individual patient. Four clusters (ward zones 121A, 121B, 122A, and 122B at Yongin Severance Hospital) participate. The trial comprises five periods (one baseline period plus four step periods), each lasting five months. In period 1 all four clusters operate under standard care; thereafter, one cluster per period transitions to the wearable-monitoring intervention in a computer-generated random order, until all clusters are in the intervention state in period 5. Once a cluster transitions to the intervention state it remains so until the end of the trial. Intervention: Patients admitted to a cluster operating in the intervention state receive continuous wearable monitoring (thynC Inpatient Monitoring System: continuous ECG, heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and body temperature with a real-time central alerting system) in addition to standard care. Patients admitted to a cluster operating in the control state receive standard care (intermittent nursing vital-sign measurement every 4 to 8 hours). Outcome and follow-up: The primary outcome is the composite incidence of MACE within 6 months. Each participant is followed for 6 months from admission. Total study duration is approximately 36 months (25 months of enrollment, 6 months of follow-up after the last enrolled patient, and 5 months of analysis). Patients and care providers are not masked to allocation; the primary and major secondary endpoints are adjudicated by an independent committee blinded to cluster allocation and study period.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
1,500
A wearable continuous monitoring system comprising an ECG patch, a temperature patch, and a pulse oximeter that wirelessly transmit continuous vital-sign and electrocardiographic data to a central monitoring system with automated two-tier (Red/Yellow) alerts. Worn from admission until discharge.
Yonsei University Yongin Severance Hospital
Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
Composite incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE)
Composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, unplanned revascularization (PCI or CABG), and cardiovascular rehospitalization, adjudicated by a blinded endpoint adjudication committee.
Time frame: Within 6 months after admission
In-hospital cardiac arrest
Incidence of cardiac arrest during hospitalization.
Time frame: Through hospital discharge, up to 30 days
ICU transfer rate
Proportion of patients transferred to the intensive care unit during hospitalization.
Time frame: Through hospital discharge, up to 30 days
Length of hospital stay
Number of days from admission to discharge
Time frame: Through hospital discharge, up to 30 days
Accuracy of wearable vital-sign measurement
Agreement (intraclass correlation coefficient) between wearable-device measurements and reference nursing measurements.
Time frame: Through hospital discharge, up to 30 days
Arrhythmia detection performance
Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of wearable arrhythmia detection compared with standard ECG/Holter monitoring.
Time frame: Through hospital discharge, up to 30 days
Early detection rate of vital-sign abnormality
Proportion of vital-sign abnormalities with a clinical response within 30 minutes of the abnormality.
Time frame: Through hospital discharge, up to 30 days
Device-related adverse events
Incidence of adverse events related to the wearable device (skin irritation, allergic reaction, discomfort).
Time frame: Through hospital discharge, up to 30 days
Cardiovascular death
Death attributable to cardiovascular causes, including fatal myocardial infarction, fatal stroke, sudden cardiac death, heart failure death, and death due to other cardiovascular causes, adjudicated by a blinded endpoint adjudication committee.
Time frame: Within 6 months after admission
Non-fatal myocardial infarction
Non-fatal myocardial infarction defined according to the Fourth Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction, adjudicated by a blinded endpoint adjudication committee.
Time frame: Within 6 months after admission
Non-fatal stroke
Non-fatal ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke confirmed by neuroimaging (CT or MRI) with corresponding neurologic deficit lasting more than 24 hours, adjudicated by a blinded endpoint adjudication committee.
Time frame: Within 6 months after admission
Unplanned revascularization
Unplanned percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) performed for clinical indications and not planned at the time of the index hospitalization, adjudicated by a blinded endpoint adjudication committee.
Time frame: Within 6 months after admission
Cardiovascular rehospitalization
Unscheduled rehospitalization due to a cardiovascular cause, including heart failure, acute coronary syndrome, arrhythmia, or other cardiovascular conditions, occurring after discharge from the index hospitalization, adjudicated by a blinded endpoint adjudication committee.
Time frame: Within 6 months after admission
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.