Interview with Michele Straube on Results of Survey of A-Fib Patients and Wearable Devices

by Steve S. Ryan

We are happy share the results of Michele Straube’s survey of A-Fib patients on consumer wearable/portable devices/apps which many of you participated in April 2019. She received a great response―315 replies! You can review the actual survey and tabulated results at: Survey Questions and the Results.

You may want to re-read Michele Straube’s 2010 A-Fib story, Cured after 30 years in A-Fib. She recently had a second catheter ablation June 11, 2020  and is doing fine, “Went for a walk in the mountains yesterday with 500’ elevation gain, and felt good.”

Michele Straube

Interpreting the Survey Data

I asked Ms. Straube to share her insights and conclusions about her survey data and how it might or should affect A-Fib treatment strategies.

“What do you think is important in your survey’s responses?”

It’s important how many people responded, and the fact that these AFib patients are very interested in having data about their condition.

It’s clear that AFib patients are interested in being an active part of the team managing their condition. Doctors should welcome this (but see below).

For device and apps developers: there’s a huge market for wearables with apps that help inform AFib patients and gain peace of mind when making treatment decisions. Current devices don’t necessarily give us all the information we’re seeking.

There should be greater collaboration between the device developers and patients in future research and design.

 “What information were you looking for?”

I wanted to know if AFib patients use wearable devices? And if so, why and how they use the data. What device or apps would they like someone to design for them.

 “Were you surprised by any of the results?”

I was surprised how many different devices there are that give some kind of relevant data (over 45 different brands), yet virtually none of the A-Fib respondents were 100% satisfied with their device’s capabilities.

About 10% of the respondents said that their doctors were not interested in seeing the data from wearable devices!!!

Many of the respondents wished for device capabilities that already exist; i.e., the devices are not being marketed to the right audience.

 “What results do you think should be published?”

I wanted to know how AFib patients currently use the data available and what they wish would be developed.

“How do you think your results should influence A-Fib treatment strategies?”

Educate: AFib patients should be educated about the various types of consumer devices and encouraged to use them to help manage their AFib.

Medical providers: doctors should welcome this independently collected additional data (especially for patients who experience AFib episodes when they’re not in the doctor’s office).

Treatment costs: A patient’s use of wearables and apps can reduce the overall expense of AFib treatment.

Michele shared how she used a wearable device:

Using myself as an example, I take an ECG reading on my device, email it to the doctor’s office, and we discuss what to do about a “bad” reading via email or phone. 

The one time my device was not working correctly, I had to go into the office for an official EKG reading, which took up much more of everyone’s time and cost oodles of money … and the end result (modification of my meds) was the exact same had I emailed a reading from my device.

We appreciate Michele’s survey work and sharing the results and her conclusions with A-Fib.com readers.

Review the actual survey and tabulated results at: Survey Questions and the Results.

Michele expressed her gratitude to all who participated in this survey, and to A-Fib.com and other sites that solicited A-Fib patients to take the survey. Michele Straube can be reached at mstraube@mindspring.com

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