Development of a feasible and acceptable digital prehabilitation pathway to improve elective surgical outcomes

• Published in: Frontiers in digital health 2023-02, Vol.5, p.1054894-1054894
• Main Authors: Linedale, Ecushla C, Bills, Eleanor, Dimopoulos, Anastasia, Yeoh, Jackie, Nolan, Mandy, Hume, Vicki, Coles, Sharyn, Andrews, Jane M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Digital Health; digital pathway; elective surgery; health service improvement; prehabilitation; surgical complications
• ISSN: 2673-253X; 2673-253X
• DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2023.1054894

To codesign and assess the feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of a hospital-initiated, community delivered approach to health optimization (prehab) prior to planned surgery. Participatory codesign combined with a prospective, observational cohort study (April-July 2022). A large metropolitan tertiary referral service with 2 participating hospitals. All people referred for orthopaedic assessment for joint replacement surgery (hip or knee) triaged as category 2 or 3. Exclusions: category 1; no mobile number. Response rate 80%. is a digitally enabled pathway that screens participants for modifiable risk factors for post-operative complications and provides tailored information to enable health optimization prior to surgery with the help of their regular doctor. Acceptability, feasibility, appropriateness, and engagement with the program. 36/45 (80%) registered for the program (ages 45-85 yrs.), completed the health-screening survey and had ≥1 modifiable risk factor. Eighteen responded to the consumer experience questionnaire: 11 had already seen or scheduled an appointment with their General Practitioner and 5 planned to. 10 had commenced prehab and, 7 planned to. Half indicated they were likely (  = 7) or very likely (  = 2) to recommend to others. The scored an average 3.4 (SD 0.78) for acceptability, 3.5 (SD 0.62) for appropriateness, and 3.6 (SD 0.61) for feasibility, out of a score of 5. This digitally delivered intervention is acceptable, appropriate, and feasible to support a hospital-initiated, community-based prehab program.