Physicians can use data from a patient's smartphone to understand the patient's level of postoperative physical activity and what this may mean for their recovery trajectory, according to a study published in JAMA Surgery.
Researchers developed an app that could capture accelerometer sensor data from patients' smartphones. They studied cancer patients who were asked to download the app so that their activity post-surgery could be tracked. The data was encrypted and stored securely so patients could not be reidentified.
The research team followed 62 patients for 147 days. Seventeen of the 62 patients in the study experienced a postoperative event, which researchers classified as either an unexpected complication, readmission or reoperation for the patient.
The average daily activity for all patients before surgery was approximately 100 minutes per week. But patients who experienced a postoperative event had a significantly lower level of daily activity compared with their baseline before surgery, for example, 40 minutes less activity per week during the third week after the operation. In comparison, patients who did not experience a postoperative event had higher levels of activity in the weeks following surgery.
"Ultimately, we would like to see this research lead to the development of a tool that helps surgeons better counsel patients on the risks of surgery. That way, we will be able to tell them the manifestation of a potential complication on their lives," said Nikhil Panda, MD, lead study author, a general surgery resident at Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School and postdoctoral fellow at Ariadne Labs in Boston.
More articles on clinical leadership & infection control:
Are patient-reported outcome measures woth the effort? 47% of clinical leaders are unsure
Government cuts research program for emerging diseases
Flu activity low, but increasing: 5 CDC updates