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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2023 Oct 25;23(21):8704.
doi: 10.3390/s23218704.

The Effect of a Smartphone App with an Accelerometer on the Physical Activity Behavior of Hospitalized Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Hanneke C van Dijk-Huisman  1 , Rachel Senden  1 , Maud H H Smeets  1 , Rik G J Marcellis  1 , Fabienne J H Magdelijns  2 , Antoine F Lenssen  1   3
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

The Effect of a Smartphone App with an Accelerometer on the Physical Activity Behavior of Hospitalized Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Hanneke C van Dijk-Huisman et al. Sensors (Basel). .

Abstract

Inactive behavior is common in hospitalized patients. This study investigated the effectiveness of using a smartphone app with an accelerometer (Hospital Fit) in addition to usual care physiotherapy on increasing patients' physical activity (PA) behavior. A randomized controlled trial was performed at Maastricht University Medical Centre. Patients receiving physiotherapy while hospitalized at the department of Pulmonology or Internal Medicine were randomized to usual care physiotherapy or using Hospital Fit additionally. Daily time spent walking, standing, and upright (standing/walking) (min) and daily number of postural transitions were measured with an accelerometer between the first and last treatment. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to determine the association between PA behavior and Hospital Fit use, corrected for functional independence (mILAS). Seventy-eight patients were included with a median (IQR) age of 63 (56-68) years. Although no significant effects were found, a trend was seen in favor of Hospital Fit. Effects increased with length of use. Corrected for functional independence, Hospital Fit use resulted in an average increase of 27.4 min (95% CI: -2.4-57.3) standing/walking on day five and 29.2 min (95% CI: -6.4-64.7) on day six compared to usual care. Hospital Fit appears valuable in increasing PA in functionally independent patients.

Keywords: activity monitoring; functional recovery; hospitalization; mHealth; physical activity; physiotherapy; wearable sensors.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The MOX activity monitor.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Overview of the main functionalities of Hospital Fit. (A) Login screen; (B) physical activity summary; (C) main menu; (D) recovery overview; (E) exercise program.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Positioning of the MOX activity monitor from a lateral view (a) and frontal view (b) while the patient is seated. The arrows highlight the placement of the hypoallergenic patch and activity monitor on the upper thigh, situated 10 cm proximal of the patella.
Figure 4
Figure 4
CONSORT flow chart.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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