[Research] Publication: Evaluation of Off-the-Shelf Smartwatches for Patient Monitoring in Hospital Settings

A research group led by Keita Fukuyama at the Division of Medical Information Technology and Administration Planning, Kyoto University Hospital, has published a new study in “Scientific Reports”.

The study presents a quantitative evaluation of an integrated real-time monitoring and localization system for ambulatory patients, utilizing off-the-shelf smartwatches and smartphones in a real hospital environment.

Article URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-43212-5

Continuous monitoring of patients in hospitals traditionally requires them to remain in designated beds or wards, which restricts their mobility. Meanwhile, monitoring for ambulatory patients who can walk freely but still carry a risk of sudden medical emergencies remains a challenge. Although consumer-grade wearable devices have improved significantly, there has been a lack of quantitative data regarding their accuracy and reliability in detecting anomalies within the complex environment of an actual hospital.

The research team developed a system combining smartwatches and smartphones to continuously monitor heart rates and indoor locations, automatically alerting medical staff when predefined thresholds were met. Tests conducted with 10 healthy volunteers at Kyoto University Hospital revealed the following performance metrics:

This study is significant as it transparently quantifies the current limitations of consumer devices, such as processing delays and positioning errors, compared to medical-grade equipment. Despite these limitations, the results indicate the feasibility of building low-cost monitoring systems that do not restrict patient movement. The foundational data obtained—including exact detection delays, localization errors, and required sample sizes for future trials—will serve as crucial benchmarks for developing next-generation patient safety solutions and “smart hospital” initiatives.