NCT02833324

Fitbit for Postoperative Ambulation

Can a Fitbit (a Mobile Tracking Device) Increase Ambulation of Colorectal Surgical Patients in the Postoperative Period?

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 48 (actual)
• Sponsor: Emory University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This trial will investigate whether using reminder alarms with a wireless activity tracking device (Fitbit) will increase daily ambulation in individuals who have just had colorectal surgery.

Detailed description

Early mobilization after surgery has been shown to reduce recovery time, incidence of venous thromboembolism, length of hospital stay and both pulmonary and general post-operative complications. Ambulation is also a main tenant of a fast-track recovery protocol known as Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS), which is commonly used among colorectal surgical practices and being implanted across other surgical practices. Despite evidence supporting its benefit, early ambulation has been identified as the one of the most difficult clinical interventions to enforce and to measure. The primary objective of this trial is to investigate whether the use of wireless activity tracking device (Fitbit) with 5 daily reminder alarms will increase daily ambulation on postoperative day 0 until post operative day 9 or hospital discharge (whichever occurs first). Secondary objectives include evaluating the effect of Fitbit as a motivating factor on the frequency of postoperative ileus, time to return of bowel function, number of venous thromboembolism (VTE), pneumonia (PNA) and other pulmonary complications, number of code Medical Emergency Team (MET) alerts, and overall cost saving.

Conditions

• Postoperative Care

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Education regarding ambulation	The participants will be educated on the importance of postoperative ambulation during the recovery period.
BEHAVIORAL	Ambulation reminder alarms	Participants in the intervention arm will receive 5 daily alarms to prompt them to ambulate. Alarms will be set to ring at 9am, 11am, 2pm, 5pm and 9pm. The Fitbit will be worn from the day of surgery (postoperative day 0) through postoperative day 9 or hospital discharge, whichever occurs first.
OTHER	Fitbit	Participants who are postoperative for colorectal surgery, who have been cleared to ambulate during recover, will be equipped with an off-the-shelf Fitbit device (a wireless activity tracking device) which will record steps taken while the participant is hospitalized. The Fitbit will be worn from the day of surgery (postoperative day 0) through postoperative day 9 or hospital discharge, whichever occurs first.

Timeline

• Start date: 2016-07-01
• Primary completion: 2016-12-01
• Completion: 2016-12-01
• First posted: 2016-07-14
• Last updated: 2017-10-17

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States