WeRoaM: Wearable Remote Monitoring in Heart Failure

Remote physiologic monitoring (RPM) of heart failure (HF) patients with a virtual platform is well established in adult care. However, this technology remains untested in pediatrics and care continues to rely on a hospital-based model which presents challenges in providing equitable access to care for those with lower socio-economic status or living remotely. Telemonitoring technology tailored for children with machine-based algorithms to predict deterioration is needed to facilitate the equitable provision of safe, home-based care, especially in vulnerable populations. This study will enroll 100 pediatric outpatients with or at risk of deteriorating HF from 4 tertiary pediatric heart failure care centres in Canada. We will use a wearable Bluetooth enabled textile (Skiin device), developed by Myant Inc (Toronto, ON), that can monitor heart rate, heart rhythm, respiratory rate and activity, together with additional home-based monitoring of blood pressure (BP), oxygen saturations and weight. The smart textile will be paired to an RPM platform, SphygmoTM (mmHG Inc). The goal of this project is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of RPM in pediatrics and validate a RPM-based risk prediction model for pediatric HF patients.