Background: Post-discharge surgical site infections (SSI) are a major source of morbidity, expense and anxiety for patients. However, patient perceptions about barriers experienced while seeking care for post-discharge SSI have not been assessed in depth. We explored patient experience of SSI and openness to a mobile health (mHealth) wound monitoring "app" as a novel solution to address this problem.

Methods: Mixed method design with semi-structured interviews and surveys. Participants were patients who had post-discharge surgical wound complications after undergoing operations with high risk of SSI, including open colorectal or ventral hernia repair surgery. The study was conducted at two affiliated teaching hospitals, including an academic medical center and a level 1 trauma center.

Results: From interviews with 13 patients, we identified 3 major challenges that impact patients' ability to manage post-discharge surgical wound complications, including required knowledge for wound monitoring from discharge teaching, self-efficacy for wound monitoring at home, and accessible communication with their providers about wound concerns. Patients found an mHealth wound monitoring application highly acceptable and articulated its potential to provide more frequent, thorough, and convenient follow-up that could reduce post-discharge anxiety compared to the current practice. Major concerns with mHealth wound monitoring were lack of timely response from providers and inaccessibility due to either lack of an appropriate device or usability challenges.

Conclusions: Our findings reveal gaps and frustrations with post-discharge care after surgery which could negatively impact clinical outcomes and quality of life. To address these issues, we are developing mPOWEr, a patient-centered mHealth wound monitoring application for patients and providers to collaboratively bridge the care transition between hospital and home.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4250175PMC
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0114016PLOS

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

wound monitoring
24
post-discharge surgical
16
mhealth wound
16
wound
9
surgical site
8
site infections
8
mobile health
8
surgical wound
8
wound complications
8
monitoring application
8

Similar Publications

Objective: The surgical team in this study examined the efficacy of a modified reverse sural neurocutaneous flap repair in treating soft tissue defects of the ankle and foot caused by accidents.

Methods: This study enrolled 89 patients treated for soft tissue defects of the ankle or foot between January 2007 and December 2023. The patients were divided into two groups: 44 patients underwent a modified reverse sural neurocutaneous flap repair, while 45 received traditional treatment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aims: Ultrasound is used in the delivery room to assess fetal head position, engagement during labor, and anal sphincter injuries in the immediate postpartum period. The transperineal approach allows for direct visualization of the structures of interest without altering anatomical landmarks. Various ultrasound measurements during labor have been described in the literature, and their use varies widely across maternity units.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cervical dilatation, uterine evacuation, and curettage (D&E&C) are common gynecological procedures for abortion, yet they carry risks of complications such as uterine perforation and intra-abdominal organ incarceration. Here, we report a rare case of a breastfeeding patient who had an embedded abdominal greater omentum in the anterior wall of the uterus and into the uterine cavity during D&E&C. We used combined hysteroscopic and laparoscopic treatment for this case and successfully removed the embedded greater omentum.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The periosteum is the main organ responsible for bone regeneration. Vascularized Periosteal Grafts (VPG) have demonstrated exceptional efficacy and speed in facilitating bone union among children with challenging bone healing conditions. Despite their promising results, the overall impact of these interventions has yet to be comprehensively evaluated through systematic review.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) is a treatment that promotes healing of chronic wounds. Despite high prevalence of chronic wounds in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), NPWT devices are not available nor affordable. This study aims to improve chronic wound care in LMICs by presenting the Wound Care (WOCA) system, designed for building, testing and use in LMICs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!