A new study from UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine found that patients utilizing digital health app Pip Care through pre-surgical preparation and post-surgery recovery had reduced hospital stays compared to non-app using patients. Additionally, the study found that those using the app had a 49% lower risk of being readmitted compared to non-app patients.
“Study after study has shown that patients are healthier and have better surgical outcomes when they adhere to a preoperative care plan, but ensuring that adherence is easier said than done,” senior author Aman Mahajan said in a statement. “Verifying that this hybrid digital-telemedicine platform is both easy for patients and clinicians to use and significantly improves patient outcomes and satisfaction with surgery is a welcome clinical advance.”
The application provides patients with simplified pre and post-surgical instructions such as nutritional guidelines and physical conditioning. The app was used by patients for between two and four weeks leading up to surgeries and four weeks after.
The study compared 128 patients using the application with 268 patients scheduled for the same surgeries at the same hospitals not using the app. Patients who utilized the app remained hospitalized for an average of 2.4 days, while those who did not remained for 3.1 days.
“Think of having major surgery as running a marathon,” lead author Stephen Esper said in a statement. “If you want to perform your best, you don’t just show up and run. You have to train first and get your body ready for the stress. It’s similar with surgery, by optimizing your health beforehand you have a better recovery.”
The medical field in the United States has been experiencing staffing shortages, with the Association of American Medical Colleges projecting that the United States will face a shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036 due largely in part to disproportionate population growth and people entering the field. Researchers said that they believe Pip Care and other technologies could help to alleviate these shortages.
“Many health systems are facing considerable staff shortages and one of the consequences is that clinical teams, who are dedicated to patients’ success, have limited time to provide focused, patient-specific surgical optimization,” Mahajan said in a statement. “By partnering with health systems and hospitals Pip Care is providing patients a sense of connection and a better understanding of their surgical journey, prompting them to actively engage in their health and those patients have better surgical outcomes.”
