Ear-worn body sensor network device: an objective tool for functional postoperative home recovery monitoring

Patients' functional recovery at home following surgery may be evaluated by monitoring their activities of daily living. Existing tools for assessing these activities are labor-intensive to administer and rely heavily on recall. This study describes the use of a wireless ear-worn activity recognition sensor to monitor postoperative activity levels continuously using a Bayesian activity classification framework. The device was used to monitor the postoperative recovery of five patients following abdominal surgery. Activity was classified into four groups ranging from very low (level 0) to high (level 3). Overall, patients were found to be undertaking a higher proportion of level 0 activities on postoperative day 1 which was gradually replaced by higher-level activities over the next 3 days. This study demonstrates how a pervasive healthcare technology can objectively monitor functional recovery in the unsupervised home setting. This may be a useful adjunct to existing postoperative monitoring systems.