Patients using wearable trackers had higher physical activity and functioning<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter<\/b><\/p>\n
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FRIDAY, June 16, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Hospital-based interventions in which patients use wearable activity trackers are associated with higher physical activity levels, less sedentary behavior, and better physical functioning versus usual care, according to a review published online June 15 in JAMA Network Open<\/em>.<\/p>\n Kimberley Szeto, from the University of South Australia in Adelaide, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to evaluate the association of interventions that use wearable activity trackers during hospitalization with patient physical activity, sedentary behavior, clinical outcomes, and hospital efficiency outcomes. <\/p>\n Based on 15 studies (1,911 participants), the researchers observed a significant association between wearable activity tracker interventions and higher overall physical activity (standardized mean difference, 0.35; I\u00c2\u00b2 = 72 percent) and less sedentary behavior (mean difference, \u00e2\u0088\u009235.46 minutes\/day; I\u00c2\u00b2 = 0). There was also a significant association seen between wearable activity tracker interventions and improvements in physical function (standardized mean difference, 0.27; I\u00c2\u00b2 = 0) versus usual care. However, wearable activity tracker interventions were not significantly associated with pain, mental health, length of stay, or readmission risk.<\/p>\n “These findings suggest that wearable activity trackers can increase patient physical activity, reduce sedentary behavior, and enhance physical function during hospitalization, which may make them a useful tool for supporting patient recovery,” the authors write.<\/p>\n