Smartphone Applications for Remote Monitoring of Patients After Transsphenoidal Pituitary Surgery: A Narrative Review of Emerging Technologies.

OBJECTIVE

Almost all postoperative assessments for pituitary patients are performed in clinical settings under the supervision of medical providers. With the emergence of telemedicine, however, there are opportunities to monitor these patients remotely. The potential for use of such technologies is inconsistently described in the brain tumor literature, especially for patients with pituitary adenomas.

METHODS

In this comprehensive narrative review, we present the literature for the use of mobile applications (apps) for monitoring of postoperative symptomatology that is specific to patients undergoing pituitary surgery. Our primary research question was: "Which smartphone apps exist in the literature to monitor parameters associated with common complications of pituitary surgery?" Specifically, we search for apps in the literature that facilitate the measurement of parameters associated with adrenal insufficiency, disorders of water imbalance, and visual changes-3 common complications of pituitary surgery.

RESULTS

Twenty-six apps were identified. Fourteen apps pertained to monitoring of visual changes, followed by 9 apps for monitoring water and electrolyte imbalances and 3 apps for monitoring adrenal dysfunction. Novel technologies that were integrated into these apps included digital image-based colorimetry, sonouroflowmetry, visual contrast sensitivity, and lateral flow immunoassays, among others.

CONCLUSIONS

Due to advancing capabilities of smartphone apps, the potential of telemedicine may extend beyond patient appointments. We show that by integrating novel advances in medical technologies from a variety of specialties, it is possible to develop smartphone-based protocols for remote monitoring of patients after pituitary surgery.