Remote Monitoring Improves Recovery From Cancer Surgery

Key TakeawaysRemote monitoring can improve recovery after cancer surgeryPatients recovered more quickly, had fewer major complications and less interference with daily activitiesThe patients wore wristbands to track their daily steps and reported symptoms via a smartphone app.TUESDAY, Sept. 23, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Remote monitoring of cancer patients can improve their recovery after surgery, a new study says.People whose health team tracked their symptoms remotely wound up recovering more quickly from surgery, researchers reported in the journal npj Digital Medicine.“The first two weeks after discharge are critical,” researcher Tracy Crane pointed out in a news release. “(Remote) care helps bridge the gap between hospital and home, catching issues early and supporting recovery,” added Crane, director of lifestyle medicine, prevention and digital health at the University of Miami’s Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.For the study, researchers recruited 293 patients undergoing major abdominal or pelvic surgeries for gastrointestinal, genitourinary or gynecologic cancers.All received a wristband to track their step count and were asked to report their post-operative symptoms through a smartphone app. Increases in daily steps have been shown to lead to better post-op outcomes, researchers noted.Half of the patients were assigned to active remote telemonitoring, with triage nurses tracking their reported symptoms and step data and reaching out if there appeared to be problems.The other half served as a control group, and received only automated messages telling them to call the hospital if their self-reported symptoms got worse.“We designed this study to reflect real-world conditions,” Crane said. “Our goal was to ensure the intervention was feasible and meaningful for patients and providers.”Those with active remote monitoring had 6% better functional recovery by two weeks after surgery and fewer major complications, results showed.Those patients also had better symptom management and less interference with their daily activities, researchers said.Crane said the results are “a call to innovate,” noting that many devices are now available to track patients’ vital signs while they recover at home.“Tomorrow’s providers should be comfortable with data streams from connected devices to harness these data and collaborate across disciplines, putting patients at the center of every decision,” Crane said. “Technology can help us do this.”The team said future research should focus on the best types of monitoring for specific types of surgical procedures and cancers.More informationThe American Cancer Society has more on recovering from cancer surgery.SOURCE: Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, news release, Sept. 17, 2025.What This Means For YouCancer patients should ask their doctor about the potential for remote monitoring of their symptoms following surgery or treatment..Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter