The value of Continuous Remote Monitoring in Clinical Decision Making After Same-day Discharge Metabolic Bariatric...

Remote assessment of patients after same-day discharge metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) might be improved by continuous remote monitoring (CRM), because it provides heart and respiratory rate (HR, RR), alongside patient complaints. This study aimed to evaluate the added value of CRM on clinical decision making in the remote assessment of patients after same-day discharge MBS.

A nationwide survey among MBS healthcare professionals (n = 23) evaluated the clinical applicability of remote monitoring with general questions and its influence on clinical decision making using fictitious patient cases. Additionally, in a retrospective cohort study (n = 213), current remote patient assessment, HR and RR, technical sensor performance and patient satisfaction in (non-)readmitted patients who underwent same-day discharge MBS was evaluated.

The survey showed that HR and RR along with complaints does not lead to uniform treatment policies, and only 54% of healthcare professionals always use CRM vital signs in patient assessment. The cohort study shows that CRM data was used in only 20% of remote patient assessments, however when CRM data was used, all patients with normal data but with complaints were still referred to the emergency department. Additionally, no statistically significant differences were found in HR and RR between readmitted (n = 14) and non-readmitted patients (n = 199), 49% of HR and 43% of RR data were missing and 72% of patients would have undergone same-day discharge MBS without CRM.

For this specific low-risk population, CRM did not appear to influence clinical decision making after same-day discharge MBS, under the current implementation conditions.