Increasing Mobility via In-hospital Ambulation Protocol Delivered by Mobility Technicians: A Pilot Randomized...

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Hospital Medicine
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Ambulating medical inpatients can improve outcomes but is often neglected due to competing nursing duties.
• Limited research exists on structured ambulation programs for older adults in acute care settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a mobility technician-assisted ambulation program for older medical inpatients.
• To determine the impact of this intervention on length of stay, discharge disposition, mobility, and daily activity.

Main Methods:

• A single-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted with medical inpatients aged 60 years and older.
• Patients were assigned to either a dedicated mobility technician-assisted ambulation group or a usual care control group.
• Outcomes included length of stay, discharge disposition, mobility (six-clicks score), daily steps (Fitbit), and 30-day readmission.

Main Results:

• The intervention group took significantly more daily steps (nearly 50% increase, P = .04) compared to the control group.
• In per-protocol analysis, the six-clicks mobility score significantly improved (P = .04) in the intervention group.
• Patients achieving at least 400 steps were more likely to be discharged home (71% vs. 46%, P = .01).

Conclusions:

• Dedicated mobility technician-assisted ambulation is a feasible intervention that increases physical activity in older inpatients.
• A threshold of 400 daily steps was associated with a higher likelihood of home discharge.
• Further research is warranted to optimize step goals and confirm the impact on broader hospital outcomes.