PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
While the quality of overall health care has been substantially improved during the past few decades,
cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to be the number one leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the
United States. Arrhythmias and other cardiac symptoms are often not detectable since many of them are
intermittent. To enhance cardiovascular health care, therefore, it is important to develop a smart telehealth
system that provides long-term ambulatory monitoring of high-quality ECG signals with automated ECG analysis
for timely intervention when cardiac events occur. Furthermore, it is essential to understand needs, perceptions,
and preferences of older adults for telehealth and long-term wearable health monitoring devices to improve their
acceptance and use of the system since it will be widely used among older adults due to their high rates of CVD.
The broad, long-term goal of this study is to reduce morbidity and mortality of CVD and improve cardiovascular
health of older adults by developing a user-friendly, smart telehealth system. As the first step toward achieving
the goal, the objective of this study is to develop a new class of technologies for an ambulatory ECG and human
activity monitoring system via fundamental understanding of inkjet-printing technologies, stretchable mechanics,
deep learning approaches for automated analysis, and knowledge and perceptions of older adults for wearable
health monitoring-based telehealth including the proposed system. This study includes the following specific
aims: (1) Experimental study for optimal inkjet printing conditions and flexible/stretchable mechanics of inkjet-
printed electronics for long-term ambulatory ECG and human activity monitoring. The expected outcome will be
successful demonstration of a low-cost, simple, and rapid fabrication for ultrathin, skin-wearable health
monitoring devices; (2) Development of two different state-of-the-art Deep Learning based models for
classification of ECG arrhythmias and human activities to fulfill needs of both health care providers and patients
for fast but accurate and efficient arrhythmia detection in various computing environments; (3) Understand
telehealth literacy and perceptions of older adult population for long-term wearable health monitoring devices.
The structured studies for understanding knowledge and perceptions of the older adult population will ensure
the successful adoption of the smart telehealth system; and (4) Validation of features and functions of the
proposed device for smart telehealth. This convergence research with expertise in biomedical engineering,
computer science, and social work will tackle existing complex challenges in the development of the smart
telehealth system. Findings from the proposed study will provide important insights for biomedical engineers,
computer scientists, social work practitioners, and health care providers to improve the quality of life for older
adults and other age groups through the development of smart telehealth systems. Overall, the proposed study
will improve the quality of life and independence of older adults by reducing morbidity and mortality from CVD
and improve the cardiovascular health of older adults, which is also well aligned with the NIH’s mission.
