A recent study, published in JMIR Formative Research, reveals that the SomnoRing, a wearable sleep monitoring device by Somnology, was perceived as useful for tracking sleep and more comfortable compared to other wearable sleep devices among a group of diverse patients with sleep disorders. These findings suggest the potential for devices like SomnoRing to improve sleep health, particularly in marginalized patient populations.
The study involved 21 participants with sleep disorders, representing diverse backgrounds, including English-speaking (n = 12) and Spanish-speaking (n = 10) individuals. All participants owned smartphones, the majority (90.5%, n = 19) felt comfortable using their phones, and a smaller portion (28.6%, n = 6) already owned a wearable device. Of the total participants, 15 (68%) wore the SomnoRing continuously for seven days during the study period and reported finding it comfortable.
Coauthor Courtney Lyles, PhD, an associate professor in the UCSF Division of General Internal Medicine at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, emphasized the significance of conducting usability and acceptability studies with patients from marginalized communities early in the development process of wearable devices or apps, rather than considering adaptation at a later stage. The study aimed to assess the usability and acceptability of a wearable sleep monitoring device and its associated mobile app among participants from diverse racial, ethnic, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds in a safety net clinic.
Conducted by Larissa Purnell, MPH, senior operations manager of specialty service design and commercialization at Galileo, the trial recruited English- and Spanish-speaking patients from a multidisciplinary clinic serving publicly insured patients in California between February 2021 and December 2021. Eligible participants had an initial evaluation for obstructed sleep apnea, while those with primary insomnia or other suspected sleep disorders were excluded. Following the SomnoRing device test over the study period, participants provided feedback on their perceptions of the device, including motivators and barriers for use, along with their general experiences with digital health tools during hour-long semistructured web-based qualitative interviews.
