Study: Wearable devices improve postoperative physical activity in lung cancer patients

Editor's Note

In a recent study, lung cancer patients using wearable devices showed significantly improved postoperative physical activity and pulmonary function as well as reduced symptoms such as dyspnea and pain.

Published September 20 in Jama Network Open, the study compared 74 patients in the intervention group (who used wearable devices to track and enhance their physical activity before and after surgery) with 120 control patients receiving standard care. Both groups were assessed over six months, with key metrics including daily step count, time spent on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and patient-reported health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

At six months post-surgery, patients in the intervention group averaged 12,321 daily steps, significantly higher than the control group's 10,118 steps (P = .007). Moreover, the intervention group spent more time in vigorous activity (33.6 minutes vs. 18.5 minutes; P = .003). These findings suggest that wearable devices not only promote physical activity but also aid in long-term recovery of cardiopulmonary function.

The intervention also resulted in better HRQOL scores, with the intervention group reporting less postoperative dyspnea and pain. Two weeks after surgery, patients in the intervention group showed smaller reductions in physical function compared to the control group, and they experienced a faster recovery from surgery-related symptoms.

Despite improvements in activity levels and symptoms, no significant difference was found in the six-minute walk test (6MWT) between groups at six months. This result may be due to the "ceiling effect," as participants generally had good cardiopulmonary function preoperatively, making small improvements harder to detect through this test.

Overall, “These findings may guide the development of comprehensive rehabilitation programs that integrate wearable devices,” researchers conclude.