A Patient-Oriented Implementation Strategy for a Perioperative mHealth Intervention: Feasibility Cohort Study

BackgroundDay surgery is being increasingly implemented across Europe, driven in part by capacity problems. Patients recovering at home could benefit from tools tailored to their new care setting to effectively manage their convalescence. The mHealth application ikHerstel is...

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Main Authors: Daan Toben, Astrid de Wind, Eva van der Meij, Judith A F Huirne, Johannes R Anema
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: JMIR Publications 2025-01-01
Series:JMIR Perioperative Medicine
Online Access:https://periop.jmir.org/2025/1/e58878
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author Daan Toben
Astrid de Wind
Eva van der Meij
Judith A F Huirne
Johannes R Anema
author_facet Daan Toben
Astrid de Wind
Eva van der Meij
Judith A F Huirne
Johannes R Anema
author_sort Daan Toben
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundDay surgery is being increasingly implemented across Europe, driven in part by capacity problems. Patients recovering at home could benefit from tools tailored to their new care setting to effectively manage their convalescence. The mHealth application ikHerstel is one such tool, but although it administers its functions in the home, its implementation hinges on health care professionals within the hospital. ObjectiveWe conducted a feasibility study of an additional patient-oriented implementation strategy for ikHerstel. This strategy aimed to empower patients to access and use ikHerstel independently, in contrast to implementation as usual, which hinges on the health care professional acting as gatekeeper. Our research question was “How well are patients able to use ikHerstel independently of their health care professional?” MethodsWe investigated the implementation strategy in terms of its recruitment, reach, dose delivered, dose received, and fidelity. Patients with a recent or prospective elective surgery were recruited using a wide array of materials to simulate patient-oriented dissemination of ikHerstel. Data were collected through web-based surveys. Descriptive analysis and open coding were used to analyze the data. ResultsRecruitment yielded 213 registrations, with 55 patients ultimately included in the study. The sample was characterized by patients undergoing abdominal surgery, with high literacy and above average digital health literacy, and included an overrepresentation of women (48/55, 87%). The implementation strategy had a reach of 81% (63/78), with 87% (55/67) of patients creating a recovery plan. Patients were satisfied with their independent use of ikHerstel, rating it an average 7.0 (SD 1.9) of 10, and 54% (29/54) of patients explicitly reported no difficulties in using it. A major concern of the implementation strategy was conflicts in recommendations between ikHerstel and the health care professionals, as well as the resulting feelings of insecurity experienced by patients. ConclusionsIn this small feasibility study, most patients were satisfied with the patient-oriented implementation strategy. However, the lack of involvement of health care professionals due to the strategy contributed to patient concerns regarding conflicting recommendations between ikHerstel and health care professionals.
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spelling doaj-art-f2d78f87ed7e4f849019f666fc3c122f2025-01-14T21:00:36ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR Perioperative Medicine2561-91282025-01-018e5887810.2196/58878A Patient-Oriented Implementation Strategy for a Perioperative mHealth Intervention: Feasibility Cohort StudyDaan Tobenhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-3180-3327Astrid de Windhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0022-3805Eva van der Meijhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4905-1867Judith A F Huirnehttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-8248-2677Johannes R Anemahttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8657-0917 BackgroundDay surgery is being increasingly implemented across Europe, driven in part by capacity problems. Patients recovering at home could benefit from tools tailored to their new care setting to effectively manage their convalescence. The mHealth application ikHerstel is one such tool, but although it administers its functions in the home, its implementation hinges on health care professionals within the hospital. ObjectiveWe conducted a feasibility study of an additional patient-oriented implementation strategy for ikHerstel. This strategy aimed to empower patients to access and use ikHerstel independently, in contrast to implementation as usual, which hinges on the health care professional acting as gatekeeper. Our research question was “How well are patients able to use ikHerstel independently of their health care professional?” MethodsWe investigated the implementation strategy in terms of its recruitment, reach, dose delivered, dose received, and fidelity. Patients with a recent or prospective elective surgery were recruited using a wide array of materials to simulate patient-oriented dissemination of ikHerstel. Data were collected through web-based surveys. Descriptive analysis and open coding were used to analyze the data. ResultsRecruitment yielded 213 registrations, with 55 patients ultimately included in the study. The sample was characterized by patients undergoing abdominal surgery, with high literacy and above average digital health literacy, and included an overrepresentation of women (48/55, 87%). The implementation strategy had a reach of 81% (63/78), with 87% (55/67) of patients creating a recovery plan. Patients were satisfied with their independent use of ikHerstel, rating it an average 7.0 (SD 1.9) of 10, and 54% (29/54) of patients explicitly reported no difficulties in using it. A major concern of the implementation strategy was conflicts in recommendations between ikHerstel and the health care professionals, as well as the resulting feelings of insecurity experienced by patients. ConclusionsIn this small feasibility study, most patients were satisfied with the patient-oriented implementation strategy. However, the lack of involvement of health care professionals due to the strategy contributed to patient concerns regarding conflicting recommendations between ikHerstel and health care professionals.https://periop.jmir.org/2025/1/e58878
spellingShingle Daan Toben
Astrid de Wind
Eva van der Meij
Judith A F Huirne
Johannes R Anema
A Patient-Oriented Implementation Strategy for a Perioperative mHealth Intervention: Feasibility Cohort Study
JMIR Perioperative Medicine
title A Patient-Oriented Implementation Strategy for a Perioperative mHealth Intervention: Feasibility Cohort Study
title_full A Patient-Oriented Implementation Strategy for a Perioperative mHealth Intervention: Feasibility Cohort Study
title_fullStr A Patient-Oriented Implementation Strategy for a Perioperative mHealth Intervention: Feasibility Cohort Study
title_full_unstemmed A Patient-Oriented Implementation Strategy for a Perioperative mHealth Intervention: Feasibility Cohort Study
title_short A Patient-Oriented Implementation Strategy for a Perioperative mHealth Intervention: Feasibility Cohort Study
title_sort patient oriented implementation strategy for a perioperative mhealth intervention feasibility cohort study
url https://periop.jmir.org/2025/1/e58878
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