Promoting patient engagement during care transitions after surgery using mobile technology: Lessons learned from the MobiMD pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Poorly coordinated transitions of care in complex abdominal surgery patients contribute to frequent hospital readmissions and inflated healthcare spending. Mobile health (mHealth) transitional care technologies may reduce surgical readmissions yet remain understudied in high-risk surgical populations. METHODS: We conducted a single-group, prepost study of a mHealth transitional care app in 50 complex surgical patients. Eligible patients were adults undergoing complex abdominal surgery in the divisions of Surgical Oncology and Colorectal Surgery. The main outcome was app engagement, calculated by notification response rate (number of participant-entered datapoints divided by the total number of app-requested datapoints) over the 30-day postoperative period. Secondary outcomes included changes in engagement over time and by individual app feature. RESULTS: A total of 85% (50/59) of eligible patients enrolled. Most participants were male (58%, n = 29), and mean age was 50 years (range 24-80 years). Overall notification response rate was 28%. Among the 58% of participants (29/50) who engaged with the app at least once after discharge (app users), the average notification response rate was 45%. The mean notification response rate among app users decreased over time from 50% to 32% between weeks 1 and 4 after hospital discharge. Engagement with individual app features ranged from 48-81%, with highest engagement for symptom reports and lowest engagement for wound care instructions. CONCLUSION: mHealth transitional care is feasible in complex surgical patients using only patients' existing smart devices. Randomized controlled trials are required to determine the impact on hospital readmissions, surgical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and overall resource utilization.

Protocol for the MobiMD trial: A randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of a self-monitoring mobile app on hospital readmissions for complex surgical patients.

BACKGROUND: Hospital readmissions are estimated to cost $17.4 billion per year in the Medicare population alone, with readmission rates as high as 30% for patients undergoing complex abdominal surgery. Improved transitional care and self-monitoring may reduce preventable readmissions for such high-risk populations. In this study, we will conduct a single-institution randomized controlled trial (RCT) to assess the effect of a novel transitional care mobile app, MobiMD, on hospital readmission in complex abdominal surgery patients. METHODS: Three hundred patients will be randomized 1:1 to standard of care (SOC) versus SOC plus MobiMD app in a parallel, single-blinded, two-arm RCT. Eligible patients are those who undergo complex abdominal surgery in the division of Surgical Oncology, Colorectal Surgery or Transplant Surgery. The MobiMD app provides push notification reminders directly to the patient's smart device, prompting them to enter clinical data and patient-reported outcomes. Clinical data collected via the MobiMD app include vital signs, red flag symptoms, daily wound and surgical drain images, ostomy output, drain output, medication compliance, and wound care compliance. These data are reviewed daily by a physician. The primary outcome is the proportion of participants readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of surgery. Secondary outcomes are 90-day hospital readmission, emergency department and urgent care visits, complication severity, and total readmission cost. DISCUSSION: If effective, mobile health apps such as MobiMD could be routinely integrated into surgical transitional care programs to minimize unnecessary hospital readmissions, emergency department visits and healthcare resource utilization. Clinical trials identifier: NCT04540315.

What Drives High Costs of Cytoreductive Surgery and HIPEC: Patient, Provider or Tumor?

INTRODUCTION: Cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) is utilized for peritoneal malignancies and is associated with significant resource use. To address potentially modifiable factors contributing to excessive cost, we sought to determine predictors of high cost of care for patients undergoing CRS/HIPEC. METHODS: An institutional CRS/HIPEC database was queried for adult patients from 2014 to 2018. Cost was defined as cost for the index hospitalization, and high-cost cases were defined as > 75th percentile for cost. Bivariate analyses for cost were performed, and all significant tumor, patient, and surgeon-specific variables were entered in a linear regression for cost. A separate linear regression was performed for length of stay (LOS). RESULTS: In total, 59 patients underwent 61 CRS/HIPEC procedures. The median direct variable cost was $20,509 (16,395-25,240). Median length of stay (LOS) was 8 (7-11.5) days and ICU stay was 1 (1-1.5) day. LOS, length of ICU stay and operative time were predictive of cost. Factors associated with increased LOS were Clavien-Dindo grade II complications and ostomy creation. Patient-related factors, including age and BMI, tumor-related factors, such as PCI and CCR, and surgeon were not predictive of cost nor LOS. DISCUSSION: Our results, the first to identify predictors of high cost of CRS/HIPEC-related care in the US, reveal cost was largely related to length and intensity of care. In turn, these drivers were influenced by complications and operative factors. Future work will focus on identifying an appropriate ERAS protocol following CRS/HIPEC and selection of those patients that may avoid routine ICU admission.

Satisfaction with surgeon care as measured by the Surgery-CAHPS survey is not related to NSQIP outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Patient satisfaction is a patient-centered outcome of particular interest. Previous work has suggested that global measures of satisfaction may not adequately evaluate surgical care, therefore the surgery-specific Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey was developed. It remains unclear how traditional outcome measures, such as morbidity, impact patient satisfaction. Our aim was to determine whether National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-defined complications impacted satisfaction with the surgeon as measured by a surgery-specific survey, the surgery-specific Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey. METHODS: All patients undergoing a general surgical operation from June 2013-November 2013 were sent the surgery-specific Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey after discharge. Retrospective chart review was conducted using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program variable definitions, and major complications were defined. Data were analyzed as a function of response to the overall surgeon-rating item, and those surgeons rated as the "best possible" or "topbox" were compared with those rated lower. Univariate and logistic regression were used to determine variable importance. RESULTS: A total of 529 patients responded, and 71.5% (378/529) rated the surgeon as topbox. The overall National Surgical Quality Improvement Program complication rate was 14.2% (75/529), with 26.7% of those (20/75) being major complications. On univariate analysis, patients who rated their surgeon more highly were somewhat older (59 vs 54 years: P < .001), more often underwent elective surgery (81% vs 57%: P < .001), and had an increased rate of operation for malignancy (31% vs 17%). Neither the complication rate (total or major) nor the number of complications were associated with satisfaction scores. CONCLUSIONS: When examined on a patient level with surgery-specific measures and outcomes, the presence of complications after an operation does not appear to be associated with overall patient satisfaction with surgeon care. This finding suggests that satisfaction may be an outcome distinct from traditional measures.

Disease severity and treatment does not affect satisfaction in diverticulitis.

BACKGROUND: Patient satisfaction is widely reported and impacts satisfaction despite a limited understanding of the clinical and structural determinants. Patients with diverticulitis are admitted to various services, with variable disease severities. They, therefore, represent a unique group to delineate relationships between these factors and satisfaction. We examined the factors that impact hospital satisfaction in patients with diverticulitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients admitted between 2009 and 2012 were identified using International Classification of Diseases 9th Revision (ICD-9) codes. The primary outcome of patient satisfaction was the Press Ganey Survey overall hospitalization satisfaction question because of a high response rate. This is a precursor survey to the widely available Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Systems and Providers Survey. There was high concordance between these items. Clinical and structural variables were collected retrospectively. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether they gave the topbox response for the overall hospital rating. RESULTS: Sixty-six patients were identified (56% female, 63 ± 14 years, length of stay: 5 ± 5 d). Seventy-four percent patients rated the hospitalization as topbox. Forty-four percent were admitted to a surgical service, and 21% of all patients underwent an operation. When comparing the topbox to the nontopbox group, demographics and disease severity were similar. Treatment modality, admitting service, and outpatient intravenous antibiotics did not influence patient satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical and structural variables did not impact overall hospital satisfaction for patients admitted with diverticulitis. This indicates that less-tangible aspects of in-hospital care may be the primary determinants of hospital satisfaction in this group. Efforts aimed at defining these variables are needed to improve patient satisfaction.

GAUGING THE EXTENT OF THYROIDECTOMY FOR INDETERMINATE THYROID NODULES: AN ONCOLOGIC PERSPECTIVE.

OBJECTIVE: Increasing emphasis is being placed on appropriateness of care and avoidance of over- and under-treatment. Indeterminate thyroid nodules (ITNs) present a particular risk for this problem because cancer found via diagnostic lobectomy (DL) often requires a completion thyroidectomy (CT). However, initial total thyroidectomy (TT) for benign ITN results in lifelong thyroid hormone replacement. We sought to measure the accuracy and factors associated with the extent of initial thyroidectomy for ITN. METHODS: We queried a single institution thyroid surgery database for all adult patients undergoing an initial operation for ITN. Multivariate logistic regression identified factors associated with either oncologic under- or overtreatment at initial operation. RESULTS: There were 639 patients with ITN. The median age was 52 (range, 18 to 93) years, 78.4% were female, and final pathology revealed a cancer >1 cm in 24.7%. The most common cytology was follicular neoplasm (45.1%) followed by Hürthle cell neoplasm (20.2%). CT or initial oncologic undertreatment was required in 58 patients (9.3%). Excluding those with goiters, 19.0% were treated with TT for benign final pathology. Multivariate analysis failed to identify any factor that independently predicted the need for CT. Female gender was associated with TT in benign disease (odds ratio [OR], 2.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0 to 4.5; P = .05). Age >45 years predicted correct initial use of DL (OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.2 to 5.7; P = .02). Suspicious for papillary thyroid carcinoma (OR, 5.7; 95% CI, 2.1 to 15.3; P<.01) and frozen section (OR, 9.7; 95% CI, 2.5 to 38.6; P<.01) were associated with oncologically appropriate initial TT. The highest frequency of CT occurred in patients with follicular lesion of undetermined significance (11.6%). TT for benign final pathology occurred most frequently in patients with a Hürthle cell neoplasm (24.8%). CONCLUSION: In patients with ITN, nearly 30% received an inappropriate extent of initial thyroidectomy from an oncologic standpoint. Tools to pre-operatively identify both benign and malignant disease can assist in the complex decision making to gauge the proper extent of initial surgery for ITN. ABBREVIATIONS: ATA = American Thyroid Association AUS = atypia of undetermined significance CI = confidence interval CT = completion thyroidectomy FLUS = follicular lesion of undetermined significance ITN = indeterminate thyroid nodule OR = odds ratio PTC = papillary thyroid carcinoma TT = total thyroidectomy.

The number of inpatient consultations is negatively correlated with patient satisfaction in patients with prolonged hospital stays.

BACKGROUND: Patient satisfaction is often measured using the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey. Our aim was to examine the structural and clinical determinants of satisfaction among inpatients with prolonged lengths of stays (LOS). METHODS: Adult patients who were admitted between 2009 and 2012, had a LOS of 21 days or more, and completed the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey, were included. Univariate analyses assessed the relationship between satisfaction and patient/system variables. Recursive partitioning was used to examine the relative importance of the identified variables. RESULTS: One hundred one patients met inclusion criteria. The average LOS was 35 days and 58% were admitted to a surgical service. Satisfaction with physician communication was significantly associated with fewer consultations (P < .01), nonoperative admission (P < .001), no intensive care unit stay (P < .01), nonsurgical service (P < .01), and non-emergency room admissions (P = .03). Among these, having fewer consultations had the highest relative importance. CONCLUSIONS: In long stay patients, having fewer inpatient consultations was the strongest predictor of patient satisfaction with physician communication. This suggests that examination of patient-level data in clinically relevant subgroups may be a useful way to identify targets for quality improvement.

Association of Patient-Reported Readiness for Discharge and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Health Care Providers and Systems Patient Satisfaction Scores: A Retrospective Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Patient-reported outcomes (PRO) have been increasingly emphasized, however, determining clinically valuable PRO has been problematic and investigation limited. This study examines the association of readiness for discharge, which has been described previously, with patient satisfaction and readmission. STUDY DESIGN: Data from adult patients admitted to our institution from 2009 to 2012 who completed both the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems and the Press Ganey surveys post discharge were extracted from an existing database of patients (composed of 220 patients admitted for small bowel obstruction and 98 patients with hospital stays ≥ 21 days). Using the survey question, "Did you feel ready for discharge?" (RFD), 2 groups were constructed, those RFD and those with lesser degrees of readiness (ie, less ready for discharge [LRFD]) using topbox methodology. Outcomes, readmission rates, and satisfaction were compared between RFD and LRFD groups. RESULTS: Three hundred and eighteen patients met the inclusion criteria; 45% were female and 94% were Caucasian. Median age was 62.3 years (interquartile range 52.5 to 70.8 year). Median length of stay was 10 days (interquartile range 6.0 to 24.0 days) and 69.2% were admitted with small bowel obstruction. The 30-day readmission rate was 14.3% and 55% indicated they were RFD. Those RFD and LRFD had similar demographics, comorbidity scores, and rates of surgery. Those RFD had higher overall hospital satisfaction (87.3% RFD vs 62.4% LRFD; p < 0.001), higher physician communication scores (median 3.0 RFD vs 2.0 LRFD; p < 0.001), and higher nursing communication scores (median 3.0 RFD vs 2.0 LRFD, p < 0.001). Readmission rates were similar between the groups (11.4% RFD vs 18.2% LRFD; p = 0.09). CONCLUSIONS: Readiness for discharge appears to be a clinically useful patient-reported metric, as those RFD have higher satisfaction with the hospital and physicians. Prospective investigation into variables affecting patient satisfaction in those LRFD is needed.

Understanding the determinants of patient satisfaction with surgical care using the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems surgical care survey (S-CAHPS).

BACKGROUND: Patient satisfaction has been emphasized increasingly in all aspects of medicine, including the imposition of financial penalties for underperformance. Current measures of patient satisfaction, however, do not address aspects specific to the care of operative patients. Therefore, our aim was to examine the recently validated Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (S-CAHPS) to determine which aspects of perioperative care are predictive of satisfaction with the surgeon. METHODS: All patients undergoing a general surgery operation at our institution during a 5-month period were sent a modified S-CAHPS within 3 days of discharge. Patients were then divided into 2 groups: those who rated their surgeon as the best possible and those giving a lower rating. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine predictors of satisfaction with operative care. S-CAHPS results were then compared with other satisfaction measures in a subset of patients. RESULTS: The response rate was 45.3% (456/1,007). The average age was 59 ± 16 years, duration of stay was 4.1 ± 6.6 days, and 23% underwent unscheduled operations. A total of 72% of patients rated their surgeon as the best surgeon possible. On multivariate analysis, preoperative communication and attentiveness on the day of operation were the most important determinants of overall surgeon rating. S-CAHPS scores correlated with other standard measures of satisfaction (HCAHPS scores). CONCLUSION: S-CAHPS is a novel operative satisfaction tool and is feasible to administer to patients undergoing general operative procedures. Surgeon characteristics most predictive of high patient satisfaction are effective preoperative communication and attentiveness on the day of operation.

Involvement of a surgical service improves patient satisfaction in patients admitted with small bowel obstruction.

BACKGROUND: For patients with small bowel obstruction (SBO), surgical care has been associated with improved outcomes; however, it remains unknown how it impacts satisfaction. METHODS: Patients admitted for SBO who completed the hospital satisfaction survey were eligible. Only those with adhesions or hernias were included. Chart review extracted structural characteristics and outcomes. RESULTS: Forty-seven patients were included; 74% (n = 35) were admitted to a surgical service. Twenty-six percent of the patients (n = 12) were admitted to medicine, and 50% of those (n = 6) had surgical consultation. Patients with surgical involvement as the consulting or primary service (SURG) had higher satisfaction with the hospital than those cared for by the medical service (MED) (80% SURG, 33% MED, P = .015). SURG patients also had higher satisfaction with physicians (74% SURG, 44% MED, P = .015). CONCLUSION: Surgical involvement during SBO admissions is associated with increased patient satisfaction, and adds further weight to the recommendation that these patients be cared for by surgeons.