Patients with cardiovascular diseases reported high perceived ease of use and favorable acceptance of a wearable monitoring system, with 75% rating usability as good or excellent, though technology acceptance showed an exploratory association with age.
Key Findings
Results
The wearable monitoring system demonstrated high perceived ease of use among cardiovascular disease patients.
Median SUS score of 82.5 (IQR = 23.1) with a mean score of 75.5 ± 17.6
75.0% of participants rated the system as having good or excellent usability
Study sample: 60 patients with CVDs enrolled in a six-month wearable monitoring program
Device used was a Garmin vívomart® 5 fitness tracker for continuous physiological and behavioral monitoring
Technology acceptance was generally favorable among cardiovascular disease patients using the wearable monitoring system.
Overall median TAM-based score of 1.33 (IQR = 0.78)
Technology acceptance was evaluated using a Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)-based questionnaire
Assessments were conducted at the end of the six-month monitoring period
The overall regression model for technology acceptance was not statistically significant
Results
Age and comorbidity burden were not associated with perceived ease of use, and no participant characteristics independently predicted SUS scores.
Multiple linear regression analyses found no participant characteristics independently predicted SUS scores
The overall regression model for SUS was not statistically significant
Comorbidity burden specifically was tested as a potential predictor of perceived ease of use
This finding suggests usability of the wearable system was independent of demographic and clinical characteristics
Results
Age showed a statistically significant exploratory association with overall technology acceptance scores.
Age was significantly associated with the overall TAM-based score (β = 0.328, p = 0.037)
The association was noted as 'exploratory' as the overall regression model was not statistically significant
This was the only participant characteristic to show a statistically significant relationship with technology acceptance
The positive beta coefficient suggests older age was associated with higher TAM-based scores in this sample
Results
Significant positive correlations were observed between perceived usefulness, self-efficacy, and reverse-scored technology anxiety.
Significant positive correlations between perceived usefulness (PU), self-efficacy (SE), and reverse-scored technology anxiety (TA) measure (p < 0.001)
Correlations were assessed using Spearman's rank correlation
Technology anxiety was reverse-scored, meaning lower anxiety was associated with higher perceived usefulness and self-efficacy
These TAM constructs were assessed via a TAM-based questionnaire administered after six months of device use
Methods
The study enrolled 60 cardiovascular disease patients in a six-month wearable monitoring program at a Romanian outpatient rehabilitation clinic.
Cross-sectional observational study design conducted at the Medical Rehabilitation Outpatient Clinic of the Avram Iancu Clinical Hospital, Oradea, Romania
Participants used a Garmin vívomart® 5 fitness tracker for continuous monitoring of physiological and behavioral parameters
Monitoring program duration was six months
Descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, Spearman's rank correlation, and multiple linear regression analyses were performed
What This Means
This research examined how easy-to-use and acceptable a wearable fitness tracker (Garmin vívomart® 5) was for 60 patients with cardiovascular diseases who wore the device for six months as part of a remote health monitoring program in Romania. At the end of the monitoring period, patients completed standardized questionnaires measuring how easy the device was to use (System Usability Scale) and how willing they were to accept and use the technology (Technology Acceptance Model questionnaire). The results showed that three-quarters of patients rated the device as having good or excellent usability, with average scores placing it in the 'good' usability category. Patients also reported generally favorable attitudes toward accepting the technology into their health management.
Importantly, the study found that older age and having more health conditions (comorbidities) did not make the device harder to use or less acceptable — suggesting that wearable technology can be accessible across a broad range of cardiovascular patients. The one notable exception was that age was linked to overall technology acceptance scores, though this finding was considered exploratory since the broader statistical model was not significant. The study also found that patients who felt more confident using technology and less anxious about it tended to see greater value in the wearable device.
This research suggests that wearable monitoring technology can be successfully integrated into routine cardiovascular care for a diverse patient population, not just younger or healthier individuals. The findings highlight the importance of addressing patients' confidence and anxiety around technology when introducing wearable devices, as these psychological factors appear to influence how much patients value the technology. Healthcare providers and program designers may benefit from offering personalized support strategies to help patients — particularly those who are less comfortable with technology — engage with wearable health monitoring over the long term.
Morenci M, Iovanovici D, Nistor C, Tirla S, Karetka A, Mihuț R, et al.. (2026). Usability and Technology Acceptance of a Wearable Monitoring System Among Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases: A Cross-Sectional Study.. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania). https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina62081607