Automated Intraoperative Short Messaging Service Updates: Quality Improvement Initiative to Relieve Caregivers'...

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Surgical Care
• Patient-Centered Communication

Background:

• Caregiver anxiety is common during surgery, exacerbated by COVID-19 restrictions limiting hospital presence.
• Short Messaging Service (SMS)-based communication shows potential for reducing anxiety and improving satisfaction for surgical patients' families.
• This communication method is also well-received by healthcare professionals and may alleviate staff burden.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a standardized, integrated intraoperative SMS-based system for communication between surgical teams and caregivers.
• Primary objective: Enhance caregiver satisfaction with care.
• Secondary objective: Decrease caregiver anxiety during the surgical process.

Main Methods:

• A quality improvement initiative utilized the Model for Improvement framework.
• An integrated SMS system sent updates at key surgical points to caregivers awaiting loved ones.
• Data collected via satisfaction surveys from February to July 2021.

Main Results:

• SMS messages were sent for 6149 (75.6%) of 8129 surgeries; 2088 caregivers completed surveys.
• High satisfaction reported: 70.8% found messages adequate, 74.4% clear, 71.6% informative, and 59.4% met needs.
• Overall satisfaction was high (4.5/5), with significant anxiety reduction (8.2/10); 3.3% reported technical errors.

Conclusions:

• The implemented SMS system effectively improved communication between surgical teams and caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• This digital health solution, used across 15 surgical specialties, has been adopted hospital-wide.
• Digital health innovations can enhance family-centered care, with success dependent on user value and appreciation.