Winston-Salem, Mar 28: A new study from Wake Forest University School of Medicine has found that patients continuously monitored after surgery experience significantly less time with dangerously low oxygen levels compared to those receiving routine intermittent checks.
Published in JAMA Network Open, the research is the first large-scale randomized crossover trial to evaluate continuous wearable monitoring technologies on hospital surgical floors. The study was conducted at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and involved nearly 3,700 patients.
Led by Ashish K. Khanna, the study compared traditional vital sign checks—typically performed every four hours—with a continuous wearable system that recorded oxygen saturation, heart rate, and blood pressure every 15 seconds.
Key findings revealed that continuously monitored patients spent about 30 fewer minutes with oxygen saturation below 90% over a 48-hour period, representing a 14% reduction in hypoxemia risk. The study also observed positive trends, including fewer ICU transfers, reduced emergency interventions, and lower in-hospital mortality rates, although these were not statistically significant individually.
Researchers attribute improved outcomes to earlier clinical interventions enabled by real-time monitoring, such as airway adjustments and supplemental oxygen.
“Continuous wearable monitoring is no longer experimental. It’s achievable, impactful and ready for broader adoption,” said Khanna, emphasizing its potential to transform postoperative care globally.
With millions of surgeries performed worldwide each year, the study highlights continuous monitoring as a scalable solution to enhance patient safety and reduce complications during the critical recovery phase.
