DHE twinning on preparing preoperative patients for Major Ambulatory Surgery: pilot study is completed

Internal evaluation of Listeo+ revealed significant success in implementing mHealth apps to promote health, prevent and control disease, address patients’ unmet needs and reduce health inequalities by improving accessibility to health services.

The DigitalHealthEurope (DHE) twinning Listeo+ represents a multifunctional mobile app preparing preoperative patients for Major Ambulatory Surgery (MAS) by providing personalised information adjusted to their clinical conditions. The twinning was designed by the Andalusian Agency for Healthcare Quality, Spain (twinning originator) for the full adoption of the Listeo+ digital solution at the Federico II University Hospital (twinning adopter), Italy while also considering all the specifics of the Campania region.

Example of a checklist received by a patient before an operation (Italian version)

To ensure the adoptation of the solution, both research teams designed a protocol for a pilot study and defined a target group of patients, to which the use of the app was suggested. The overall objective of the pilot study was to assess adherence to individualised presurgical recommendations through the use of the Listeo+ app as an adjunct to usual clinical practice. More specific objectives set by two research teams were:

  • Identification of the most frequent causes associated with patient non-compliance with recommendations
  • Evaluation of the level of usability of the Listeo+ app (patients)
  • Analysis of the level of usefulness perceived by healthcare professionals with respect to the installation of the Listeo+ app.

An analysis of the twinning adopter context provided a clear representation of the adopter organization and Campania’s healthcare system, including population unmet health needs and technological infrastructure. During mutual site visits, both teams exchanged experiences while also discussing a suitable business model and pilot study design. Consequently, the Federico II University Hospital provided a set of specific recommendations for the intervention, while the team of the Andalusian Agency for Healthcare Quality ensured their successful integration into the app. As a result, the app was fully translated into Italian and a total of 10 patients agreed to participate in the pilot study.

Working meeting at Utrera Hospital (Sevilla) – 13th February 2020

Even though the twinning suffered an abrupt slowdown and downsizing due to the COVID-19 emergency, the pilot study was successfully implemented in June 2021. The study contributed to the identification of the most frequent causes associated with patient non-compliance with recommendations and the evaluation of the level of usability and usefulness of the Listeo+ app by patients and healthcare professionals. Now both research teams plan on developing a business model to transfer the solution on a regional scale, integrated with the Campania Regional Health System.

The successful pilot implementation of the Listeo+ ICT system in Campania has demonstrated potential to significantly improve pre-operative patient management in day surgery, also facilitating the set-up of shared training programs. This progress in the integration and interoperability of information systems represents a major step forward in the field of mHealth.