A study suggests use of the Post Op Digital Care Platform by clinical teams and patients could save NHS general surgical departments around £60,000 per 100 patients. The savings form part of a package of cost benefits when adopted by hospitals, and used by doctors, nurses and post-surgical patients.
The scientific paper, Cost Effectiveness unlocked: Redefining clinical outcomes augmented by Post Op Digital Care Platform published in The Journal of Surgery and Research, looked at financial savings to be made when clinical teams and patients adopt the use of the Post Op app. The greater than £60,000 saving per 100 patients includes savings from reducing avoidable episodes of patients seeing their GP or visiting the emergency department as well as savings from avoidable deterioration of post-operative complications.
Post Op, working in conjunction with Kettering General Hospital Foundation Trust, also carried out a patient study Patients Perspective on Post Op Experience (published in The Journal of Surgery) which found 73% of patients using the app helped them from seeking medical care elsewhere. It also found 77% of patients felt the app helped them feel more confident in their recovery.
Dr Chindu Kabir, Founder of Post Op says: The solution for our problems with long waiting lists is trusting our patients to help us - through better communication and engagement, using digital technology. Rather than using digital platforms to obstruct or control their access, we should instead use digital technology to support better communication with clinical teams. Patients do not want to use hospitals unnecessarily – so let’s start listening to them!
The study found savings could be made in primary care and hospital treatment, for post-operative patients who often encounter surgical site infections (SSI). Using estimates from NHS Digital National Schedule of Reference costs and the King’s Fund, the research team indicate the following further benefits to the NHS in enhancing cost effectiveness:
• Preventing post-operative complications on average the cost of re-operating on patients who have a SSI is £5845 per operation
• Reducing inappropriate medical seeking episodes as patients will be provided with information, guidance and care via the app, thus reducing the need to book a GP appointment, calling an ambulance or visiting Emergency Departments.
• Mitigating environmental costs linked to excessive resource and transport use as fewer journeys are made by patients to hospitals to seek medical care. The app allows video calling by clinical teams to their patients, and patients are invited to regularly upload photos of their wound as it heals
• Not only does this alleviate patient borne costs (of travel, parking, carbon emissions) which the study estimates £490 per 100 patients, it also reduces costs due to loss of productivity as clinical teams are able to see more patients on the waiting list, rather than valuable face to face appointments for post-operative patients.
Not only does this alleviate patient borne costs (of travel, parking, carbon emissions) which the study estimates £490 per 100 patients, it also reduces costs due to loss of productivity as clinical teams are able to see more patients on the waiting list, rather than valuable face to face appointments for post-operative patients.
Post Op is a smart phone application which connects patients and healthcare professionals during the surgical pathway. Post Op is committed to supporting patient recovery and creating a positive patient experience whilst providing clinicians with key metrics to monitor patient recovery in a cost effective way.
