Comparing Activity Trackers With vs. Without Alarms to Increase Postoperative Ambulation: A Randomized Control Trial

Area of Science:

• Surgical Recovery
• Digital Health Monitoring
• Patient Outcomes

Background:

• Early ambulation is crucial for postoperative recovery but is inconsistently measured.
• Standardized methods are needed to quantify patient mobility after surgery.
• Activity trackers offer a potential solution for objective measurement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate if activity trackers with alarms enhance postoperative ambulation in elective colorectal surgery patients.
• To assess the feasibility of integrating activity trackers into postoperative care pathways.
• To establish a quantitative measure for ambulation within Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 48 patients undergoing elective colorectal procedures.
• Patients were assigned to receive either activity trackers with 5 daily alarms or activity trackers alone.
• Data on daily steps were collected and analyzed over 223 total patient days.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in daily steps was observed between the group using trackers with alarms and the group using trackers alone (P = .93).
• Postoperative day was a significant factor influencing steps taken; age, sex, and surgical approach were not significant.
• The study successfully operationalized tracker use for quantitative ambulation assessment in postoperative care.

Conclusions:

• Activity trackers with alarms did not significantly increase postoperative ambulation compared to trackers without alarms.
• The study demonstrated a viable strategy for using activity trackers to quantify ambulation in ERAS protocols.
• Objective measurement of ambulation using trackers can enhance postoperative recovery monitoring.