Authors: (including presenting author): :
LAW SF(1), Sin MW S(1), Choi WK T(1), Lo WC D(1), Szeto L D(1)
Affiliation: :
(1)Department of Anaesthesia & Operating Theatre Services, Tseung Kwan O Hospital
Keyword 1: :
Telehealth Technology
Keyword 2: :
Peri-operative Care
Keyword 3: :
Early complication detection
Keyword 4: :
Patient safety
Introduction: :
Tele-health technology has significantly transformed healthcare, particularly in peri-operative care, by enhancing wound monitoring and early complication identification. Traditionally, nurses conduct phone follow-ups the day after surgery, which limits the ability to assess wound conditions and detect non-verbal cues. Tseung Kwan O Hospital introduced tele-health services to improve patient safety during recovery.
Objectives: :
This study aims to assess the efficacy of tele-health services compared to traditional phone follow-ups in the recovery phase of day surgery patients. The PICO framework focused on:
- Population: Post-operative day-discharge patients
- Intervention: Tele-health consultations
- Comparison: Phone follow-ups
- Outcome: Early detection of complications, AED admissions within 14 days, and readmissions within 30 days
Methodology: :
The service was implemented in 2024, 105 post-operative patients from gynecological and dental specialties were recruited. 43 patients received tele-health services, while 62 received phone follow-ups. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27, with independent T-tests and Chi-square tests for baseline comparisons. Relative Risk (RR) and Number Needed to Treat (NNT) were used to assess group differences.
Result & Outcome: :
Tele-health services identified 11 post-operative complications, compared to 2 in the phone follow-up group. The RR of 7.93 indicates that tele-health is 7.9 times more likely to detect complications. The NNT of 4.473 means 1 complication would have been missed for every 4 phone follow-ups. Furthermore, 3 tele-health patients required AED admission within 14 days, compared to 8 in the control group, reflecting a 46% lower risk. Additionally, no tele-health patients were readmitted
within 28 days, compared to 4 in the control group, showing an 84.1% reduction in readmission risk. Tele-health service is clinically significant in early complication detection and reducing unnecessary hospital visits compared to phone follow-ups. On the way forward, increasing the sample size, developing multi-disciplinary collaboration and extending the service to other specialties would strengthen the results.
