Early Ambulation to Reduce Hospital Length of Stay (EARLY)

University of Florida

Status: Completed

Conditions: Ambulation; Wearable Devices

Treatments: Device: Wearable Pedometer

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04444453

IRB202001410 (Other Identifier)

Details and patient eligibility

About

Early ambulation of inpatients has been shown to be a key driver of decreased LOS and also reduced adverse events such as venous thromboembolism (VTE). We will test if a patient wearable device (pedometer) measuring steps and ambulation sessions decreases hospital LOS (primary outcome), decreases hospital LOS index (LOSI), decreases time to first ambulation, decreases time to first bowel movement (BM), decreases incidence of VTEs, and decreases costs (secondary outcomes). In a pilot randomized control trial, we will randomize 150 total adult patients admitted to UF Health Jacksonville in a 1:1 fashion to usual care and wearable pedometer or usual care. Patients randomized to the study intervention will receive a wearable pedometer upon admission, to be worn for the duration of their inpatient stay. Study outcome measures to be compared between the pedometer and no pedometer group include hospital LOS (primary outcome), hospital LOSI, time to first ambulation, time to first BM, incidence of VTEs, patient experience, and costs (secondary outcomes).

Enrollment: 38 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 100 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Patients ages > or equal to 18 years
2. Patient has capacity to undergo informed consent
3. Admitted to UF Health Jacksonville 8N progressive inpatient unit
4. Inpatient physician orders for patient ambulation and/or activity as tolerated upon hospital admission
5. Patient with a Fall Predictive Analytics score category of "low risk"
6. Patient with a Morse Fall Scale (MFS) of < or equal to 50
7. No contraindications to wearing a wrist pedometer (no skin breakdown, overlying skin infections, contact dermatitis, or indwelling catheters/need for venipuncture at wrist site)

Exclusion criteria

1. Patient < 18 years of age
2. Patient without capacity to undergo informed consent
3. Patient with a 'do not ambulate' order or has order for bed rest or other contraindication to ambulation (i.e., fall risk) or dependent on more than minimal assistance to ambulate
4. Patient with a Fall Predictive Analytics score category of "high risk"
5. Patient with MFS > 50 or labelled by clinical team as fall risk
6. Non-English speaking
7. In law enforcement custody or ward of the state
8. Pregnancy

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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38 participants in 2 patient groups

Pedometer

Experimental group

Description:

Admitted patients who receive a pedometer to wear during their hospital stay to measure steps ambulated

Treatment:

Device: Wearable Pedometer

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

Patients admitted to hospital who do not receive a pedometer, but receive all other usual standard of care