A perioperative eHealth tool used alongside standard care has been shown to successfully support older patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm throughout their treatment journey.
The app was well used and valued by patients, providing information and positive lifestyle advice before, during and after operations. Patients also appreciated the ability to share the application with relatives, the researchers found.
What’s more, healthcare staff also saw benefits as the app aided the management of a prehabilitation programme and enhanced the digital transformation of healthcare, decreasing their workload.
In the prospective, single-centre cohort study, patients were offered the opportunity to download the app before undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery. The app provided a range of information for patients, including information about their condition and the surgical techniques involved (endovascular aneurysm repair and open surgical repair), as well as perioperative lifestyle advice, such as exercise programmes, ensuring a healthy diet rich in protein, geriatric care and advice on stopping smoking or drinking alcohol.
The majority of patients reported positive responses using the eHealth app and valued the ability to share relevant information with their relatives.
Over 90% of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm installed the app (n=59/65), with 10% deactivating it after installation. The mean age of users was 74, and 85% were male. Users were active on the app, opening it a median of 67 times. The interquartile range (IQR) was 33–127, indicating the range of times that patients interacted with the app.
The satisfaction questionnaire was completed by 90% of the participants, rating their experiences with the eHealth tool on a scale from 0 to 10. The median scores were 8 for guidance (IQR 6–8), 8 for information provision (IQR 6–8), 7 for usefulness (IQR 6–8.5) and 8 for recommendation to others (IQR 6–9).
Seven patients provided more in-depth feedback in a semi-structured interview and described positive experiences, particularly related to healthy lifestyle advice and the ability to share information about their abdominal aortic aneurysm care with relatives.
The researchers said the user data and feedback highlighted several areas for improvement, but they emphasised the wide-reaching benefits of using an eHealth tool for supplementary care in older patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm.
Reference
Gjosha, B et al. Positive Experiences with the Use of an eHealth Smartphone Application During the Treatment of an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm. Annals of Vascular Surgery; Oct 24: DOI: 10.1016/j.avsg.2024.07.112.
