Feasibility and Prediction of Adverse Events in a Postoperative Monitoring Program of Patient-Reported Outcomes and a Wearable Device Among Gynecologic Oncology Patients

Abstract

PURPOSE The objective of this study was to test the feasibility of implementing a postoperative monitoring program for women with gynecologic cancers composed of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and a wearable activity monitor. METHODS We prospectively enrolled patients undergoing gynecologic cancer surgery to this single-arm study. Enrolled patients completed PROs (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System physical function, sleep disturbance, anxiety, fatigue, and pain intensity) at baseline and one-week intervals for 4 weeks. They also wore a wearable accelerometer device that measured steps, heart rate, and intensity of physical activity. The primary outcome was feasibility. The secondary outcome was prediction of unscheduled contacts with the health care system on a given postoperative day. RESULTS We enrolled 34 women. Three patients were unevaluable. The mean age was 58 years. The mean body mass index was 31 kg/m2; 17 patients were White (54.8%), 12 patients were Black (38.7%), and two patients (6.5%) were Asian. The overall wear time was 83.8%, and patients responded to 80.4% of the PRO instruments. Twenty-two patients (71%) had an unscheduled contact with the health care system postoperatively (median 1.5, 0.0-8.0). The day of an unscheduled health care utilization event was predicted with acceptable discrimination (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.75; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.81). PROs of fatigue and physical function were most predictive followed by wearable device outputs of lightly active minutes and average daily heart rate. CONCLUSION Implementation of a postoperative monitoring program of patient-reported outcomes and a wearable device was feasible. The specific day of an unscheduled contact with the health care system was predicted with acceptable discrimination.