The Role of Electrocardiography in Occupational Medicine, from Einthoven’s Invention to the Digital Era of Wearable Devices

Antonio Baldassarre, Nicola Mucci, Martina Padovan, Alessia Pellitteri, Silvia Viscera, Luigi Isaia Lecca, Raymond P. Galea and Giulio Arcangeli
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Antonio Baldassarre: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
Nicola Mucci: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
Martina Padovan: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
Alessia Pellitteri: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
Silvia Viscera: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
Luigi Isaia Lecca: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
Raymond P. Galea: Postgraduate Training Programme, Mater Dei Hospital, MSD2090 Msida, Malta
Giulio Arcangeli: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 14, 1-28

Abstract: Clinical-instrumental investigations, such as electrocardiography (ECG), represent a corollary of a procedures that, nowadays, is called upon as part of the principles of precision medicine. However when carrying out the professional routine examinations, most tend to ignore how a “simple” instrument can offer indispensable support in clinical practice, even in occupational medicine. The advent of the digital age, made of silicon and printed circuit boards, has allowed the miniaturization of the electronic components of these electro-medical devices. Finally, the adoption of patient wearables in medicine has been rapidly expanding worldwide for a number of years. This has been driven mainly by consumers’ demand to monitor their own health. With the ongoing research and development of new features capable of assessing and transmitting real-time biometric data, the impact of wearables on cardiovascular management has become inevitable. Despite the potential offered by this technology, as evident from the scientific literature, the application of these devices in the field of health and safety in the workplace is still limited. This may also be due to the lack of targeted scientific research. While offering great potential, it is very important to consider and evaluate ethical aspects related to the use of these smart devices, such as the management of the collected data relating to the physiological parameters and the location of the worker. This technology is to be considered as being aimed at monitoring the subject’s physiological parameters, and not at the diagnosis of any pathological condition, which should always be on charge of the medical specialist We conducted a review of the evolution of the role that electrophysiology plays as part of occupational health and safety management and on its possible future use, thanks to ongoing technological innovation.

Keywords: electrocardiography; wearable electronic devices; occupational health and safety; health surveillance; health promotion; total worker health; Internet of things; biosensing techniques; medical informatics; history of medicine (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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