title: Using a Real-Time Location System for Assessment of Patient Ambulation in a Hospital Setting.
abstract: To assess the feasibility of using an infrared-based Real-Time Location System (RTLS) for measuring patient ambulation in a 2-minute walk test (2MWT) by comparing the distance walked and the Johns Hopkins Highest Level of Mobility (JH-HLM) score to clinician observation as a criterion standard.
  
  
  
  Criterion standard validation study.
  
  
  
  Inpatient, university hospital.
  
  
  
  Patients (N=25) in an adult neuroscience/brain rescue unit.
  
  
  
  Not applicable.
  
  
  
  RTLS and clinician-reported ambulation distance in feet, and JH-HLM score on an 8-point ordinal scale.
  
  
  
  The RTLS ambulation distance for the 25 patients in the 2MWT was between 68 and 516ft. The mean difference between clinician-reported and RTLS ambulation distance was 8.4±11.7ft (2.7%±4.6%). The correlation between clinician-reported and RTLS ambulation distance was 97.9% (P<.01). The clinician-reported ambulation distance for 2 patients was +100ft and -99ft compared with the RTLS distance, implying clinician error in counting the number of laps (98ft). The correlation between the RTLS distance and clinician-reported distance excluding these 2 patients is 99.8% (P<.01). The accuracy of the RTLS for assessment of JH-HLM score for all 25 patients was 96%. The average patient speed obtained from RTLS data varied between 0.4 and 3.0mph.
  
  
  
  The RTLS is able to accurately measure patient ambulation and calculate JH-HLM for a 2MWT when compared with clinician observation as the criterion standard.
authors.affiliation: Measurement Corps, Johns Hopkins Individualized Health Initiative, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: In Cheol
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: Measurement Corps, Johns Hopkins Individualized Health Initiative, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bychkov
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hiser
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Julie D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Kreif
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Erik H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Hoyer
authors.affiliation: Measurement Corps, Johns Hopkins Individualized Health Initiative, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD. Electronic address: searson@jhu.edu.
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Searson
mesh_terms: D056044:Actigraphy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003199:Computer Systems; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Rehabilitation; Walk test; Walking