title: The promise of wearable activity sensors to define patient recovery.
abstract: The recent emergence of mobile health--the use of mobile telecommunication and wireless devices to improve health outcomes, services, and research--has inspired a patient-centric approach to monitor health metrics. Sensors embedded in wearable devices are utilized to acquire greater self-knowledge by tracking basic parameters such as blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature as well as data related to exercise, diet, and psychological state. To that end, recent studies on utilizing wireless fitness activity trackers to monitor and promote functional recovery in patients suggest that collecting up-to-date performance data could help patients regain functional independence and help hospitals determine the appropriate length of stay for a patient. This manuscript examines existing functional assessment scales, discusses the use of activity tracking sensors in evaluating functional independence, and explores the growing application of wireless technology in measuring and promoting functional recovery.
authors.affiliation: Neurodigital Laboratory, Columbia University, Department of Neurological Surgery, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA. Electronic address: ga2294@columbia.edu.
authors.forename: Geoff
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Appelboom
authors.affiliation: Neurodigital Laboratory, Columbia University, Department of Neurological Surgery, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Annie H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Neurodigital Laboratory, Columbia University, Department of Neurological Surgery, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Brandon R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Christophe
authors.affiliation: Neurodigital Laboratory, Columbia University, Department of Neurological Surgery, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Eliza M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Bruce
authors.affiliation: Support Unit in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Justine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Slomian
authors.affiliation: Support Unit in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bruyère
authors.affiliation: Neurodigital Laboratory, Columbia University, Department of Neurological Surgery, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Samuel S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Bruce
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Brad E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Zacharia
authors.affiliation: Support Unit in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jean-Yves
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Reginster
authors.affiliation: Neurodigital Laboratory, Columbia University, Department of Neurological Surgery, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: E Sander
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Connolly
mesh_terms: D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D017216:Telemedicine
keywords: Activity tracking; Connected device; Fitness; Functional outcome; Recovery; eHealth