Association of Wearable Activity Monitors With Post-Operative Activity Level Among Cardiovascular Surgical Patients

Early mobility in the post cardiovascular surgical patient can dramatically impact patient outcomes. Utilizing an innovative strategy, like a wearable activity monitor, can potentially provide: accurate data on post-operative mobility level; increased motivation and self-efficacy in the recovering patient; data to potentially drive post-operative mobility goal setting. Use of a wearable activity monitor will reduce time needed to return to pre-operative activity level in the cardiovascular surgical patient.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Cardiovascular
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: quasi-experimental Pre-test/Post-test design

Detailed Description

While this study used participants from a general surgical floor, its merit should be translatable to the cardiovascular surgical patient population. Additionally, Thorup et al. (2016) proved a positive correlation between the amount of time a step counting device was worn and the distance walked by patients.

It is no surprise that the importance of activity level and ambulation goals are stressed as much, if not more, to cardiac surgery patients versus other surgical patients. In order to be released from the hospital, a cardiac surgery patient must meet and exceed a certain walking distance. Because of this, much of the post-operative teaching is related to the importance of ambulating, setting distance goals, and defining a walking plan to adhere to during the hospital stay and after discharge.

Early and sustained mobility in the post cardiovascular surgical patient can positively impact patient outcomes. In order to drive these outcomes, patient ownership, motivation and self-accountability beyond the walls of the hospital must be achieved.

This study will use best practice guidelines, the relationship-based care model, and innovative technology to determine if using wearable activity monitors impacts: (1) intrinsic motivation, (2) time of return to pre-operative mobility levels, (3) LOS and readmission rates, and (4) overall fitness level.

The aim of this study is to determine if use of a wearable activity monitor will motivate post cardiovascular surgical patients to increase activity levels over a 12 week period, to determine the wearable activity monitor's ability to influence return to pre-surgical self-reported mobility level, to determine if using a wearable activity monitor will increase 6 minute walk test(6MWT) distance comparing pre-discharge 6MWT and 3 month post 6MWT, to determine amicability of a wearable activity monitor as an intervention strategy in post cardiovascular surgical patients, to determine if use of a wearable activity monitor as a post-operative intervention will impact patient length of stay and/or readmission.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 12

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Texas
    • Mansfield, Texas, United States, 76063
      • Methodist Mansfield Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Cardiovascular surgical patients will be recruited preoperatively for participation in study with an anticipated three month time commitment. Upon informed consent, participant will receive pre-test and wearable activity monitor hardware from study investigator. The 6 minute walk test will be conducted prior to discharge from the hospital and again during the three month follow-up visit along with the post-test survey.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patient must be at least 18 years old
• Patient must have cardiovascular surgery
• Patient must be able to ambulate without the use of an assistive device
• Patient must be able to wear activity wrist device
• Patient must speak and read English

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patient does not speak or read English
• Patient is not able to ambulate, is wheelchair bound, bed bound, or requires the use of an assistive device for ambulation
• Patient is discharged to an inpatient rehabilitation facility

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Cardiovascular surgical patients; Patients who received cardiovascular surgery and was released from the hospital due to meeting and exceeding a certain walking distance.	Behavioral: quasi-experimental Pre-test/Post-test design; surveys to document progress

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
intrinsic motivation	refers to behavior that is driven by internal rewards. In other words, the motivation to engage in a behavior arises from within the individual because it is naturally satisfying.	over a period of 12 months
time of return to pre-operative mobility levels	time of return to pre-operative mobility levels	over a period of 12 months
LOS	LENGTH OF STAY	over a period of 12 months
readmission rates	readmission rates	over a period of 12 months
overall fitness level	FITNESS LEVEL	over a period of 12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Methodist Health System
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Brooks Williams, BSN, RN, Methodist Mansfield Medical Center

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 13, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 24, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): May 24, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 12, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 30, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): January 2, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 23, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 19, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: cardiovascular surgical patient
• Other Study ID Numbers: 038.NUR.2019.M

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No