Fitbits are finding a new use in healthcare: helping predict patient readmission rates following cancer surgery.
A recent study from University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute found that that more activity during a patient’s recovery predicted lower risk of 30- and 60-day readmission after surgery for metastatic peritoneal cancer. That form of cancer is rare and develops in a thin layer of tissue that lines the abdomen.
By monitoring patients using Fitbit, researchers found that higher Fitbit steps forecast better patient outcomes.
Readmission is common after complex cancer surgeries, with 15% to 50% of patients readmitted within 30 days of discharge following surgery to remove abdominal cancer, says University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. Preventable readmissions are associated with increased healthcare costs and poor long-term outcomes including early mortality, and patient and family stress and suffering, per the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute.
The purpose of the study was to determine whether the number of steps taken during patient recovery predicts 30- and 60-day readmission risk after metastatic cancer surgery. Patients diagnosed with metastatic peritoneal cancer and scheduled for surgical resection were enrolled in the study at their preoperative clinic visit.
Fitbits were placed on patients’ wrists upon transfer from intensive care following surgery and worn for the duration of their hospital stay. Information about hospital readmission was extracted from electronic medical records.
71 patients participated in the study. The researchers calculated mean steps per day for each participant over the hospital recovery period. Readmission within 30 and 60 days was After statistically adjusting for age, body mass index and length of postoperative stay, higher mean steps per day predicted lower 30-day and 60-day readmission risk.
“Higher Fitbit mean daily step counts during inpatient recovery predicted lower risk of 30- and 60-day readmission after metastatic cancer surgery,” the study says. “These associations persisted after adjustment for demographic and medical covariates such as age, diagnosis, and length of postoperative stay as well as preoperative patient-reported exercise frequency.”
Keep up with latest coverage on digital healthcare by signing up for Internet Health Management News today.