Plymfit study: A study to investigate the feasibility of wrist-worn smartwatch use in perioperative care [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]

Background
Wrist-worn activity monitors may provide a novel cost-effective method to risk stratify patients before surgery as well as instigate and monitor both prehabilitation and rehabilitation to improve patient fitness and therefore perioperative outcomes. This may address a number of key issues facing the health of the expanding perioperative population. However, a baseline dataset using smartwatches is urgently required before interventional strategies can be robustly developed.

Aims
To pilot the use of wrist-worn consumer smartwatches in participants undergoing major surgery. To assess feasibility of their use and direct methodology for a future large cohort study. This will be used to assess the clinical utility of these watches in future research.

Methods
A UK university hospital-based, 50 participant pilot study, using Garmin Vivofit 4 smartwatches. Participants undergoing major abdominal surgery will wear watches 2 weeks prior, and 4 weeks following, their surgery. Primary outcomes will assess feasibility including; proportion of eligible patients recruited, watch wear compliance and secondary outcome data collection. Secondary outcomes will include the smartwatch data itself and assessments of postoperative outcome.

Conclusion
The data generated will underpin future funding applications with the aim to provide the key observational dataset required for robust integration of smartwatches into perioperative care.