Continuous electrocardiogram monitoring in general wards : a survey study of usability and perceived clinical utility among healthcare professionals

Background: Timely identification of clinical deterioration in hospitalized patients is critical for ensuring patient safety in general wards.Wearable devices enabling continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring have been introduced to address this need, but evidence regarding their real-world usability and perceived clinical value among healthcare professionals remains limited.This study evaluated the usability and perceived clinical utility of a wearable, single-lead continuous ECG monitoring system implemented in a general ward from the perspective of healthcare professionals.Materials and Methods: This single-center, cross-sectional survey enrolled healthcare professionals working in general wards routinely who routinely used the wearable ECG monitoring system.A structured questionnaire was used to assess perceived clinical usefulness, usability and ease of use, workflow impact, technical stability, and overall satisfaction.Responses were collected using a 5-point Likert scale.Descriptive statistics were used to summarized survey outcomes, and negatively worded items were reverse-coded for domain-level analyses.Results: Forty-four healthcare professionals completed the survey.Most respondents considered the system clinically useful, with 75.0%reporting favorable views regarding early detection of clinical deterioration.Usability and ease of use were rated positively by 72.7% of participants, and overall satisfaction was high at 73.6%.Perceptions of workflow impact (47.7% positive) and technical stability (42.0%positive) were more varied, with recurrent concerns related to alarm burden and system reliability. Conclusion:In a real-world general ward setting, a wearable continuous ECG monitoring system was considered clinically useful and generally usable by healthcare professionals.Nonetheless, limitations concerning workflow integration and technical stability underscore the need for user-centered system optimization before broader implementation.