Stress Reduction in Perioperative Care: Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Digital Health Interventions
• Surgical Patient Care
• Psychological Well-being

Background:

• Surgical patients experience stress and anxiety, impacting recovery and increasing complications.
• Preoperative anxiety is linked to information access, but personalized support is limited.
• Digital health (DH) offers scalable solutions, yet current tools often lack personalization and psychological support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Adhera CARINAE DH Program, a digital intervention for personalized stress and anxiety management in surgical patients.
• To assess the integration of wearable devices, mobile apps, and virtual reality for tailored patient support.
• To utilize data-driven techniques for enhanced patient education and lifestyle guidance.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 74 surgical patients across 4 hospitals in 3 European countries.
• Intervention group received the Adhera CARINAE DH Program alongside standard care; control group received standard care only.
• Assessment of psychological metrics (self-efficacy, self-management, mental well-being) and physiological stress markers pre- and post-intervention.

Main Results:

• The intervention group showed significant improvements in stress, pain, and anxiety scores.
• Patients receiving the DH intervention experienced a 17.12% reduction in hospital stay duration.
• Positive correlations were observed between self-efficacy, self-management, and mental well-being in the intervention group.

Conclusions:

• The Adhera CARINAE DH Program demonstrates viability in supporting surgical patients.
• Optimizing DH solutions is crucial for enhancing patient care and recovery.
• Findings support potential applications in remote patient monitoring and communication.