Background Promoting physical activity (PA) in patients during and/or after an inpatient stay appears important but challenging. Interventions using activity trackers seem promising to increase PA and enhance recovery of physical functioning. Objective To review the effectiveness of physical activity interventions using activity trackers on improving PA and physical functioning, compared to usual care in patients during and/or after inpatient care. In addition, it was determined whether the following intervention characteristics increase the effectiveness of these interventions: the number of behaviour change techniques (BCTs) used, the use of a theoretical model or the addition of coaching by a health professional. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data Sources PubMed, EMBASE, Cinahl, SportDiscus and Web of Science databases were searched in March 2020 and updated in March 2021. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) including interventions using activity trackers and feedback on PA in adult patients during, or less than 3 months after, hospitalization or inpatient rehabilitation. Methods Following database search and title and abstract screening, articles were screened on full text for eligibility and then assessed for risk of bias by using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. Meta-analyses, including subgroup analysis on intervention characteristics, were conducted for the outcomes PA and physical functioning. Results Overall, 21 RCTs totalling 2355 patients were included. The trials covered a variety of clinical areas. There was considerable heterogeneity between studies. For the 13 studies that measured PA as an outcome variable(N = 1435), a significant small positive effect in favour of the intervention was found (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.34; 95%CI 0.12–0.56). For the 13 studies that measured physical functioning as an outcome variable (N = 1415) no significant effect was found (SMD = 0.09; 95%CI -0.02 - 0.19). Effectiveness on PA seems to improve by providing the intervention both during and after the inpatient period and by using a theoretical model, multiple BCTs and coaching by a health professional. Conclusion Interventions using activity trackers during and/or after inpatient care can be effective in increasing the level of PA. However, these improvements did not necessarily translate into improvements in physical functioning. Several intervention characteristics were found to increase the effectiveness of PA interventions. Trial registration Registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020175977) on March 23th, 2020.

Background Self-monitoring of physical activity (PA) using an accelerometer is a promising intervention to stimulate PA after hospital discharge. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of PA self-monitoring after discharge in patients who have undergone gastrointestinal or lung cancer surgery. Methods A mixed methods study was conducted in which 41 patients with cancer scheduled for lobectomy, esophageal resection, or hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy were included. Preoperatively, patients received an ankle-worn accelerometer and the corresponding mobile health app to familiarize themselves with its use. The use was continued for up to 6 weeks after surgery. Feasibility criteria related to the study procedures, the System Usability Scale, and user experiences were established. In addition, 6 patients were selected to participate in semistructured interviews. Results The percentage of patients willing to participate in the study (68/90, 76%) and the final participation rate (57/90, 63%) were considered good. The retention rate was acceptable (41/57, 72%), whereas the rate of missing accelerometer data was relatively high (31%). The mean System Usability Scale score was good (77.3). Interviewed patients mentioned that the accelerometer and app were easy to use, motivated them to be more physically active, and provided postdischarge support. The technical shortcomings and comfort of the ankle straps should be improved. Conclusions Self-monitoring of PA after discharge appears to be feasible based on good system usability and predominantly positive user experiences in patients with cancer after lobectomy, esophageal resection, or hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Solving technical problems and improving the comfort of the ankle strap may reduce the number of dropouts and missing data in clinical use and follow-up studies.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the recovery of physical functioning and objective physical activity levels up to 3 months after oncological surgery and to determine the association between physical activity levels and the recovery of physical functioning.Methods: A longditudinal observational cohort study was conducted in patients who underwent gastrointestinal or bladder oncological surgery. Recovery of physical functioning was measured preoperatively, and 1 and 3 months after discharge. Physical activity was objectively measured with an accelerometer during hospitalisation, and 1 and 3 months after discharge.Results: Between February and November 2019, 68 patients were included. Half of the patients (49%) were not recovered in physical functioning 3 months after surgery.During hospitalisation, physical activity increased from 13 to 46 median active minutes per day. At 1 and 3 months after discharge, patients were physically active for 138 and 159 median minutes per day, respectively. Patients with higher levels of physical activity 1 month after discharge showed to have higher levels of physical functioning up to 3 months after discharge. Conclusion:At 3 months after surgery, physical functioning is still diminished in half of the patients. It is important to evaluate both physical activity levels and physical functioning levels after surgery to enable tailored postoperative mobility care.