Physical Activity Trackers: Promising Tools to Promote Resilience in Older Surgical Patients

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Surgical Care
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Older adults are at high risk for adverse surgical outcomes.
• Perioperative care models are evolving but often lack physical activity interventions.
• Quality improvement initiatives are exploring novel methods to support geriatric surgical patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of physical activity (PA) trackers in monitoring and promoting PA in older adults during the perioperative period.
• To compare the impact of different levels of PA support on daily step counts in geriatric surgical candidates.

Main Methods:

• Two quality improvement (QI) initiatives were conducted at the Perioperative Optimization of Senior Health (POSH) clinic.
• Participants (n=38, age 65+) used PA trackers.
• One group received bundled advice; the other received bundled advice plus exercise coaching and weekly counseling.

Main Results:

• 93% of approached participants agreed to use PA trackers.
• The group receiving continuous counseling showed a significant difference in PA trajectory (p=0.049).
• Daily step counts varied between groups, with the enhanced support group demonstrating higher post-operative recovery in PA.

Conclusions:

• Physical activity (PA) trackers are feasible tools for geriatric surgical patients.
• Continuous PA counseling, in conjunction with PA trackers, shows promise for enhancing patient resilience.
• This approach may improve outcomes for older adults facing surgery.