Smartphone-aided postoperative monitoring effective

Postoperative follow-up using smartphone app-assisted monitoring for patients undergoing breast reconstruction and gynecologic oncology surgery is associated with improved quality of recovery, according to a study published online April 12 in JAMA Surgery.

Claire Temple-Oberle, M.D., from the University of Calgary in Canada, and colleagues compared quality of recovery and patient satisfaction between conventional in-person follow-up and smartphone app-assisted follow-up for patients following Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Society (ERAS) protocols. The analysis included 72 adult women undergoing oncologic breast reconstruction or major gynecologic oncology surgery.

The researchers found that the app group had significantly higher mean Quality of Recovery 15 (QoR15) scores than the control group at the two- and six-week time points. On the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire III, patients showed equal satisfaction for all subsets at these intervals. Additionally, the groups were similar with respect to the mean number of complications and surgeon contacts per patient. Surgeons reported appreciation for early identification of complications through the app.

"This randomized clinical trial lends further support to the use of app-assisted postoperative care," the authors write. "Postoperative follow-up that incorporates app-assisted monitoring improves patients' quality of recovery following oncologic surgery."

One author disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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