Postop use of wearables OK for patients

According to a survey, integrating wearables into postoperative care is well-received among hospitalized postop patients, paving the way for their future implementation.

“Our study showed overall positive feedback from patients regarding their experiences with fitness trackers postoperatively,” said the investigators.

The study comprised patients undergoing elective moderate-to-major surgery followed by hospitalization. Postoperatively, 33 patients (mean age 65.4 years, 54.5 percent women) were randomized to one of three popular fitness trackers: Apple Watch 7 (n=12), Garmin Fenix 6 Pro (n=11), and Withings ScanWatch (n=10). The devices continuously measured vital signs and daily steps.

Participants wore the trackers throughout their hospital stay. They were encouraged to wear the devices permanently until discharge, except for showering, medical interventions (eg, surgical procedures, diagnostic imaging), or any intervention that requires a high level of hygiene. Two participants requested early termination of participation due to skin irritation and discomfort.

The median time span of using the assigned fitness tracker was 7.6 days (min 2 days; max 21 days). [J Clin Monit Comput 2025;39:1077-1086]

Overall, 298 of the 363 patient answers (82.1 percent) were rated positively (Likert Scale score [LSs] 4 and 5), 40 (11 percent) were rated negatively (LSs 1 and 2), and 22 (6.1 percent) were rated neither positively nor negatively (LSs 3). The remaining three answers (0.8 percent) have been marked ‘not applicable’.

Ninety-seven percent of participants agreed to share wearable data for research, and 72.7 percent agreed to use wearables during any subsequent hospitalization. When asked about willingness to use wearables at home, 21.2 percent of participants disagreed.

There was a high level of general willingness to provide wearable data to the family doctor, but patients preferred that the physician access the data only in their presence rather than in real time, the investigators noted.

New vs old

Conventional methods of monitoring vital signs can create critical gaps in patient monitoring, potentially delaying the detection of complications and thus raising the rate of “failure to rescue” events. [J Patient Saf 2022;18:e140-e155]

Wearables, which are currently at the forefront of the IoT* revolution, are comfortable to wear and do not interfere with daily activities. [Sensors (Basel) 2020;20:7313] Continuous monitoring by wearables may help close these gaps, providing real-time data that may encourage earlier interventions. [Mhealth 2021;7:50; Br J Anaesth 2022;128:857-863]

Caveats

The researchers cited some hurdles that must be overcome before wearables can be implemented in routine clinical care. Privacy concerns remain a critical aspect in integrating wearable technology. Regulatory bodies and manufacturers should strike a balance between the security benefits and the discomfort associated with constant surveillance, they noted.

“Future research should therefore focus on additional aspects, such as measurement accuracy, regulatory considerations, robust validation strategies, and evidence of clinical benefits to overcome the critical barriers,” the investigators said.

They also acknowledged study limitations, such as the small sample size, which may have limited the findings. The short duration of device use also precludes evaluating the effects of long-term use of fitness trackers. The questionnaire used was self-designed, non-validated, and translated from German to English, and the affirmative responses might have been driven by social appeal.

Nonetheless, the results provide encouraging preliminary findings that support further expansion of efforts in continuous vital sign monitoring, the investigators said. “The high percentage of positive responses is a key driver of the adoption of wearable technologies in healthcare.”