Preoperative assessment using mobile technologies in the Czech Republic - Are our patients ready for it? Prospective, observational, multicentre, cross-sectional study
Abstract
Objective: The aim of our study was to find out whether patients scheduled for elective surgery owned a smartphone, had access to internet/e-mail and whether they would be willing to undergo preoperative assessment (POA) using internet/mobile devices. Design: Observational, prospective, multicentre, cross-sectional study.
Setting: Preoperative clinics at tertiary care hospitals in the Czech Republic. Materials and methods: The study was based on a simple questionnaire which the patients had to answer at the end of their POA appointment.
The recorded data included age, gender, level of education, ownership of a smartphone, access to internet/e-mail and the patients' willingness to undergo remote POA. The obtained data were analysed using descriptive statistical methods.
Results: We analysed data from 1685 patients. Total 957 (57%) of them owned a smartphone, 1330 (79%) had access to the internet and 1260 (75%) used e-mail.
Total 536 patients (32%) were willing to undergo remote POA. Patients with a university degree (164 of 343, 48%) were more likely to be willing to have remote POA.
Conclusion: More than half of the patients undergoing POA owned a smartphone, had internet connection and used e-mail. Overall one third of the patients expressed their willingness to undergo remote POA; this proportion was higher in patents with a degree.