Value of an interactive phone application in an established enhanced recovery program

Area of Science:

• Surgical patient care
• Digital health interventions
• Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols

Background:

• Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) programs are established protocols to optimize surgical patient recovery.
• Integrating mobile technology into healthcare offers new avenues for patient monitoring and engagement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of an interactive mobile phone application on ERAS compliance and clinical outcomes.
• To assess the effectiveness of a digital tool in enhancing patient adherence to ERAS pathways.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study of 289 elective colorectal surgery patients enrolled in an ERAS program.
• Patients were divided into two groups: those using a mobile application and those not.
• Key metrics analyzed included ERAS pathway adherence, length of stay (LOS), surgical site infection (SSI) rates, readmissions, and total costs.

Main Results:

• The mobile application group showed significantly higher ERAS medication adherence (82.1% vs. 76.8%).
• Enrollees experienced a reduced length of stay (4.4 vs. 6.4 days) and lower SSI rates (3.4% vs. 11.3%).
• Total costs were lower for the app-enrolled group ($11,560 vs. $13,946), with no significant difference in readmission rates.

Conclusions:

• Interactive mobile applications can enhance adherence to ERAS protocols.
• Implementation of this digital tool is associated with improved clinical outcomes, including reduced LOS and SSI rates.
• Mobile health interventions offer a cost-effective approach to optimizing surgical recovery.