Using wearable devices to monitor patients continuously in Ghana
Official title: Implementing a hospital-based continuous patient monitoring system using consumer wearable devices in Ghana
Funded at University of Alabama at Birmingham · NIH-11059451 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a new way to keep an eye on children's health after surgery or in emergencies by using popular wearable devices like Fitbits to track important signs like heart rate and oxygen levels, making it easier for doctors to spot any problems quickly.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Birmingham, United States) |
| Project start | December 29, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $211,347 |
| NIH project number | 1R21TW012943-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11059451 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include pediatric patients presenting for trauma evaluation and children undergoing surgery for appendicitis in Ghana.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not in need of continuous monitoring or those outside the age range of 0-21 years may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research aims to implement a continuous patient monitoring system using consumer wearable devices in Ghana, addressing the limitations of traditional manual vital sign monitoring. By utilizing devices like Fitbits, the project will collect vital signs data such as heart rate and oxygen levels, which will be displayed in real-time to healthcare providers. This approach is designed to improve the triage of pediatric trauma patients and enhance postoperative monitoring for children undergoing surgery. The goal is to reduce complications and mortality rates associated with delayed detection of physiological deterioration.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly improve patient outcomes by enabling timely detection of critical health changes in both children and adults.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown success in using wearable devices for continuous monitoring in high-income countries, but this approach is novel in the context of low-resource settings like Ghana.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ghomrawi, Hassan — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: Ghomrawi, Hassan
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.