By Marta Rybczynski
Tracking patient data through Apple’s Health app showed promise at helping clinicians assess a patient’s level of recovery after undergoing surgery, according to research presented Monday at American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) annual meeting.
While surgeons often lack objective data regarding a patient’s functional recovery post-surgery, the findings off a new study from a consortium of orthopaedic surgeons suggest that mobility data collected by iPhones may be used as a way to objectively measure improvement by comparing it to pre-injury baseline metrics.
“Since smartphone-based platforms like Apple Health collect data passively in the background, we have a unique opportunity to measure mobility both before and after an injury, providing valuable context for patient recovery,” remarked the study’s lead author, an assistant professor at Oregon Health & Science University Dane Brodke.
Researchers aimed to see if gait data recorded on Apple devices can detect changes in mobility pre-injury and post-surgery, and if it matches up with what patients report about their recovery.
The study involved 42 adult patients with lower limb fractures who owned iPhones and had at least 28 days of health data before their injury, and six months of follow-up data after surgery. Researchers analysed five gait parameters — step count, walking asymmetry, double support, walking speed and step length — and looked at how these changed from pre- to post-injury, as well as their connection to function and pain scores on the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) survey.
According to the study, the only mobility measurement with a moderate or stronger correlation to patient-reported physical function was step content. In particular, patients whose bones did not heal properly had a 55 per cent slower recovery in daily step counts than those who healed normally.
“These findings suggest that smartphone-measured step counts not only correlate with adverse clinical outcomes but may also predict them, allowing for earlier intervention and improved patient care,” said study author Nathan O’Hara, an associate professor of orthopaedics at the University of Maryland Medical System. “While the PROMIS survey offers valuable insights from a patient’s perspective, it remains subjective. For the first time, the objective data from Apple Health provides a clearer, more reliable understanding of a patient’s recovery
Both Apple Health and the study authors are separately exploring product development for health research and insight. The research team reported that they are currently developing an app for patients to download during their first visit with an orthopaedic surgeon, aiming to enrol more participants and provide personalised insights to support recovery and a safe return to an active lifestyle. Apple announced in February that it is launching a virtual health study aimed at understanding how data from technology, such as the tech giant’s iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods, can predict, detect and manage changes in users’ health.
