According to the 2020 ESC Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Guidelines it’s clear that the high prevalence of asymptomatic AF shows a growing need of clinically validated mobile screening tools, as it is “associated with increased risk of stroke and mortality compared with symptomatic AF.

The ESC Guideline suggests caution because “>100 000 mHealth (mobile Health) apps and >_400 wearable activity monitors are currently available) […] many are not clinically validated.”

The ESC Guideline is also clear about favouring AF screening over AF detection by routine care. Even though AF fulfills the criteria for disease screening, still the choice of optimal screening programmes and strategies for its implementation are scarce, making it even more important that such solutions are clinically validated and certified by the competent agency.

Happitech has a clinically validated smartphone PPG technology and is continuously investing in clinical data and PPG optimization to help healthcare companies detect asymptomatic AF on their patients, while also to spearhead the clinical studies needed to add mobile PPG screening to the modern digital healthcare journey and enable providers to create efficient and personalized care pathways for their patients.

A validation study was conducted at the OLVG hospital, using Happitech PPG screening. Using a cohort of patients undergoing elective electrical cardioversions (ECV), PPG recordings were obtained directly from an IPhone 8 (Apple Inc, Cupertino, CA). Continuous electrocardiography was monitored simultaneously with the PPG heart rhythm recording for verification. The vital signs reported, validated 149 patients over one year for Sinus Rhythm/AF.

Clinical evidence of Happitech PPGs technology:

1. Mol et al. Performance of an automated photoplethysmography-based artificial intelligence algorithm to detect atrial fibrillation CV Digital Health Journal. V1:2. P107-110, september 01, 2020
2. 2020 European Society of Cardiology ESC Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Guidelines, Oxford Academics, European Heart Journal Volume 42 Issue 5, February 1st 2021