A 'light touch' digitally delivered, self-administered, prehabilitation pathway was acceptable to consumers and...

PurposeThis study aimed to evaluate the clinical and financial outcomes of the My PreHab Program (MPP), a digitally delivered, patient-led prehabilitation initiative for patients undergoing elective hip or knee arthroplasty across two metropolitan hospitals.MethodsAn observational cohort study of MPP participants compared to a standard care group (SCG). MPP participants were invited via text message to complete a Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and received tailored health information on modifiable risk factors. For analysis, demographic data, length of stay (h = hours), hospital-acquired complications, readmission rates and hospital costings were collected from hospital records and the digital platform's website.ResultsA 24-h reduction in length of stay was observed in MPP participants compared to the SCG (MPP: 107 h vs SCG: 131 h, p = <0.001). The average cost of an admission for MPP participants was $2,251.85 less than SCG. MPP participants rated the program as acceptable (3.6/5), appropriate (3.6/5), and feasible (3.8/5).ConclusionMPP demonstrated promising results, specifically by reducing length of stay and hospital costs. These findings support broader implementation of digitally delivered, self-administered prehabilitation programs as an effective, affordable strategy in elective surgery pathways.