# Mobile health solutions for atrial fibrillation detection and management: a systematic review

## TL;DR

This paper reviews mobile health tools for detecting and managing atrial fibrillation, highlighting their accuracy and challenges in healthcare adoption.

## Contribution

A systematic review of mHealth solutions for AF detection and management, emphasizing device types and diagnostic accuracy.

## Key findings

- 208 studies were identified, with 82, 46, and 49 focusing on handheld devices, wearables, and ILRs respectively.
- Diagnostic accuracy varies by device type and technology used, such as electrocardiography versus photoplethysmography.
- Barriers to widespread adoption of mHealth solutions in healthcare systems remain unresolved.

## Abstract

We aimed to systematically review the available literature on mobile Health (mHealth) solutions, including handheld and wearable devices, implantable loop recorders (ILRs), as well as mobile platforms and support systems in atrial fibrillation (AF) detection and management.

This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The electronic databases PubMed (NCBI), Embase (Ovid), and Cochrane were searched for articles published until 10 February 2021, inclusive. Given that the included studies varied widely in their design, interventions, comparators, and outcomes, no synthesis was undertaken, and we undertook a narrative review.

We found 208 studies, which were deemed potentially relevant. Of these studies included, 82, 46, and 49 studies aimed at validating handheld devices, wearables, and ILRs for AF detection and/or management, respectively, while 34 studies assessed mobile platforms/support systems. The diagnostic accuracy of mHealth solutions differs with respect to the type (handheld devices vs wearables vs ILRs) and technology used (electrocardiography vs photoplethysmography), as well as application setting (intermittent vs continuous, spot vs longitudinal assessment), and study population.

While the use of mHealth solutions in the detection and management of AF is becoming increasingly popular, its clinical implications merit further investigation and several barriers to widespread mHealth adaption in healthcare systems need to be overcome.

Mobile health solutions for atrial fibrillation detection and management: a systematic review.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00392-021-01941-9.