Inside STAT: A fortuitous time for a remote study

Late in February, when the world was still humming, Apple and Johnson & Johnson launched a virtual heart health study the likes of which the world has never seen. The Heartline Study aims to follow seniors — some who may have an undetected heart problem known as atrial fibrillation — to see what happens when they wear an Apple Watch or get health tips via iPhone. In its first week, the trial signed up about 5,000 people who got their $49 watches at Best Buy. Then the coronavirus crisis exploded and seniors were warned to stay home. That makes Heartline a test case for clinical research conducted remotely — both during the pandemic and after. STAT's Rebecca Robbins has more.