Using Smartwatches to Observe Changes in Activity During Recovery From Critical Illness Following COVID-19 Critical Care Admission: 1-Year, Multicenter Observational Study.
Alex Hunter, Todd Leckie, Oliver Coe and 7 others
PMID 35417402WHAT IT FOUND
Smartwatch data showed step counts rose from 4359 to 7914 per day over 12 months in COVID-19 survivors.
Resting heart rates dropped by 10 beats per minute. The MDT site group increased steps by 176% versus 42% in controls, though baseline activity differed.
Key findings
01Daily step counts increased significantly from month 1 to month 12.
02Resting heart rate decreased significantly from month 1 to month 12.
03The MDT site group showed a larger percentage increase in step counts than control sites, but started with lower baseline activity.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
This was an observational study, not a randomised controlled trial, so the larger step count increase in the MDT group may be due to chance or unmeasured factors rather than the MDT intervention itself. The MDT group had lower baseline activity levels than the control group, which complicates the comparison of percentage increases. Adherence to wearing the smartwatch was 70%, and only 34% of the analysed group provided complete monthly data, which may introduce bias. The study did not record how many eligible patients declined participation, limiting generalisability.
Declared interests
None declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that MDT review of smartwatch data causes better recovery. The study was observational and not randomised. The MDT group started with lower activity levels than the control group, and the difference in step count increase may reflect this baseline imbalance or chance rather than the intervention's efficacy.