The following is a summary of “Impact of an automated peri-procedural digital health intervention on rates of emergency department visits and readmissions,” published in the November 2023 issue of Surgery by Liu, et al.
Effective peri-procedural care involves timely education, reminders, and check-ins to enhance patient adherence and improve clinical outcomes. For a study, researchers sought to retrospectively assess the impact of a peri-procedural digital health tool on emergency department (ED) visits and readmissions.
A digital health tool for peri-procedural care engaged patients at scheduled intervals, generating an overall engagement score. Multivariate models were employed to identify predictors of tool engagement and post-procedural 30- and 90-day rehospitalizations and ED visits.
The analysis included 11,737 completed procedures from 10,438 unique patients. Patients of Black and Latinx race/ethnicity (compared to White), those with Medicare and Medicaid insurance (versus commercial), and individuals with non-activated patient portals (in contrast to activated portals) were less likely to engage with the tool. After adjusting for confounders, higher tool engagement was associated with reduced rates of 30-day hospitalizations (OR 0.64), 90-day hospitalizations (OR 0.65), and 90-day ED visits (OR 0.77).
Even after accounting for key confounders, patients with higher engagement levels demonstrated fewer 30-day and 90-day ED visits and readmissions. However, it was notable that engagement and associated benefits were not uniformly distributed among the patient population.
Source: americanjournalofsurgery.com/article/S0002-9610(23)00371-9/fulltext
