Acceptability of mobile health technology in elective surgery: A study of postoperative patients

We sought to assess the patient-perceived acceptability of mobile health technology when applied in perioperative care. Although numerous use cases demonstrate the value of mHealth, there is limited knowledge about patient perceptions of such technology, which may explain lack of broader implementation.

We conducted a descriptive qualitative study of patients at a single, large academic health system. Purposive sampling identified patients within 30-90 days after major operations (≥10% composite morbidity) across 8 specialties. Semistructured interviews were conducted and resulting transcripts were analyzed deductively by theme of acceptability, as measured by the 7 constructs of Sekhon's Acceptability Framework for Healthcare Interventions.

Thirty patients were interviewed prior to achieving thematic saturation. Patients had a positive Affective Attitude regarding using mHealth in perioperative processes and demonstrated significant Intervention Coherence, most commonly requesting centralized instructions, simplified communication channels, and easier sharing of media. Areas of Perceived Effectiveness of mHealth included preoperative expectation management via patient- and disease-specific education as well as point-of-care preoperative instructions. Postoperatively, patients believed mHealth tracking of their physical recovery would be motivational. Few patients expressed concerns about the Ethicality of data collection, especially if limited to a prespecified time around surgery. Most interviewees expressed high Self-Efficacy when engaging mobile technology but did consider accessibility concerns regarding disadvantaged populations.

Patients recovering from major operations perceived mHealth to be acceptable and effective for improving perioperative care. These findings have the potential to inform the effective implementation of mHealth to optimize patient.