• Christian Have Dall, Helle Andersen, Tina Myung Povlsen, and Marius Henriksen.
• Department of Physical and Occupational Therapy, Bispebjerg Frederiksberg University Hospital, Copenhagen and University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Cardiology, Bispebjerg Frederiksberg University Hospital, Copenhagen and University of Copenhagen, Denmark; The Parker Institute, Bispebjerg Frederiksberg University Hospital, Copenhagen and University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: christian.have.dall@regionh.dk.
• Eur. J. Intern. Med. 2019 Nov 1; 69: 50-56.

BackgroundPhysical inactivity is common during hospitalisation and poses a threat to functional capacity and independency in the elderly.AimWe aimed to assess the effect of physical activity measurements with visual feedback about time spent in various activities on the average daily time spent out of bed during hospitalisation.MethodsWe recorded physical activity during hospitalisation by accelerometers and compared the effect of the visual feedback (intervention) with no feedback (control) on time spent out of bed. Patients admitted to the pulmonary ward were invited and assigned to intervention with feedback or control with no feedback in 6 alternating waves of approximately 18 patients each. The order of feedback/no feedback was randomised at the outset of the study. The visual feedback intervention group was provided with visual feedback of the daily time spent in bed, sitting, standing, and walking. The control group did not receive feedback.Results93 patients completed the study with a median length of stay of 5 days. Across all patients there were no statistically significant group differences in daily time out of bed; however, patients with independent mobility spent 51 minutes (95% CI 0 to 102; P = .049) more out of bed when provided with visual feedback compared to no feedback.ConclusionsA simple technology assisted physical activity intervention with visual feedback to encourage mobility was not effective at increasing time spent out of bed among hospitalised patients. With feedback, a subgroup of patients with independent walking abilities increased time out of bed and may benefit from this type of intervention.Trial Registrationclinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01945749.Copyright © 2019 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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