T-shirt monitors improve recovery for urological surgery patients

A new t-shirt designed to monitor patients after urological surgery for cancer could help them recover at home sooner. Patients can wear the t-shirt for about two weeks under their clothes for several hours each day. In a pilot study involving 70 participants, those wearing the t-shirt felt safer and more reassured than those in a control group. The results of the study will be presented at the European Association of Urology Congress in Madrid. The t-shirt collects important health data like heart rate, body temperature, and more. It works with an app and web software to send the information to healthcare providers. In the study, the control group was discharged from the hospital three to five days after surgery. However, the patients wearing the t-shirt could leave 24 to 36 hours earlier, usually two to four days after their procedure. This technology was created in collaboration with LET's Webearable Solutions, which specializes in telemonitoring. Patients in the wearable group reported high satisfaction, with 90% feeling safe while recovering at home. The wearable also helped identify potential heart issues in five patients, allowing for quicker treatment. While most patients found the device easy to use, a small percentage had some difficulty with the instructions. Antonio L Pastore, an Associate Professor of Urology, noted that an earlier discharge improves patients' quality of life. He emphasized that feeling comfortable at home offers significant benefits. However, experts caution that the study is still in its early stages and more research is needed to verify its effectiveness and cost efficiency.