The Promise of Wearable Activity Sensors to Define Patient Recovery

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.