The Digital Physical Exam: A Pilot Exploring the Utility of Smartphone and Smartwatch Wearable Data for Hospital Medicine

Wearable devices such as smartphones and smartwatches collect large volumes of biometric data on patients, yet their utility for admitting inpatient providers remains largely unexplored. In this pilot exploratory study, 137 patients admitted to Stanford Hospital were screened, of whom 27 were found to use smart devices and 16 had sufficient pre-admission data to include in our analysis. Step count was the most consistently recorded metric. Among those analyzed, a steep decline in step count prior to hospitalization was associated with discharge to a skilled nursing facility or need for home health services. Patients with cardiac diagnoses also exhibited more pronounced declines in step count compared to those with non-cardiac conditions. Despite low rates of wearable usage, our findings suggest that trends in pre-hospital biometric data may offer early insights into patient functional status and discharge needs. As wearable adoption increases, such data could enhance inpatient decision-making and discharge planning.