Effect of PreAnaesThesia Computerized Health (PATCH) Assessment on Duration of Nurse—Patient Consultation and Patient Experience: A Pilot Trial

Abstract

<jats:p>Preanaesthesia health assessment is gradually transitioning from paper-based, face-to-face assessment to digitized assessment, self-administered by the patient. This transition could potentially optimize the various goals of assessment, notably facilitating the efficient collection of the patient’s health information. We have previously developed and validated a tablet application (PreAnaesThesia Computerized Health assessment application or “PATCH”) for patients to conduct preanaesthesia self-assessment. In a randomized controlled trial, we sought to compare the duration of nurse–patient consultation and patient satisfaction between patients who underwent PATCH self-assessment vs. standard care nurse-led assessment. Fifty-two elective surgical patients were randomized to complete either PATCH assessment or standard care nurse-led assessment at an outpatient preoperative clinic. The duration of nurse–patient consultation was subsequently noted for all patients who also completed a satisfaction survey. The mean (SD) nurse–patient consultation times in the PATCH and standard care groups were comparable, at 11.5 (3.6) min and 12.2 (2.9) min, respectively (p = 0.703). Overall satisfaction scores were also comparable, at 23.9 and 27.0 respectively (p = 0.451) for the PATCH and standard nurse assessment groups. Favorable perceptions of PATCH among users ranged between 41.7% and 79.2%. In conclusion, PATCH self-assessment can feasibly be introduced into current practice with comparable nurse–patient consultation times and patient satisfaction.</jats:p>

Virtual preoperative assessment in surgical patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…After screening titles and abstracts, 8424 studies were excluded because they did not meet the predetermined inclusion criteria. Of the remaining 30 studies, 15 full-text articles were excluded [ [23] , [24] , [25] , [26] , [27] , [28] , [29] , [30] , [31] , [32] , [33] , [34] , [35] , [36] , [37] ]; the reasons for exclusion are listed in Appendix: Table A3. Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria for qualitative synthesis, of which 12 studies were included for the meta-analysis of surgery cancellations and patient experience [ 12 , 16 , [38] , [39] , [40] , [41] , [42] , [43] , [44] , [45] , [46] , [47] , [48] , [49] , [50] ].…”

PreAnaesThesia computerized health (PATCH) assessment: development and validation

“…These amendments led to the development of an improved digital version. The feasibility of its implementation was reported in a study published recently [ 17 ].…”

Delphi consensus on the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ physical status classification in an Asian tertiary women’s hospital

“…Traditional models of in-person preanaesthesia assessment have transitioned to digital formats, administered by health care providers or self-administered by patients [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]. Electronic preoperative assessment platforms often incorporate clinical decision support systems (CDSS) that improve quality of care through standardization of practice [24,25].…”

“…The PATCH application allows patients to self-administer a preanaesthesia health screening questionnaire on a mobile device at a time, place and pace convenient to them. Patient responses gathered online generate a comprehensive health report that is reliable and accurate, when compared to nurse-led assessment [23]. However, in its current form, the application does not automatically generate the ASA score.…”

“…Electronic pre-anesthesia assessment platforms often incorporate clinical decision support systems (CDSS) that improve quality of care through the standardization of practice [ 24 , 25 ]. We previously reported the development and validation of a web-based Pre-AnaesThesia Computerized Health (PATCH) assessment application through a mixed-methods approach [ 22 ]. The PATCH application allows patients to self-administer a pre-anesthesia health screening questionnaire on a mobile device at the time, place, and pace most convenient to them.…”