Cost-benefit analysis of a patient engagement technology (PET) in cardiac, thoracic, and colorectal surgery

• Published in: The American journal of surgery Vol. 224; no. 3; pp. 979 - 986
• Main Authors: Gleason, Lauren T., Xie, Rongbing, Wood, Lauren, Shao, Connie, Dos Santos Marques, Isabel C., Donahue, James M., Wei, Benjamin, Davies, James, Kennedy, Gregory D., Chu, Daniel I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.09.2022; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Clinical outcomes; Colorectal surgery; Complications; Cost benefit analysis; Cost estimates; Cost reduction; Costs; Demographics; Elective surgery; Enrollments; Heart; Heart surgery; Hospitalization; Length of stay; Multidisciplinary teams; Patient satisfaction; Patients; Postoperative period; Standard deviation; Statistical analysis; Surgeons; Surgery; Telemedicine; Thoracic surgery; Thorax
• ISSN: 0002-9610; 1879-1883
• DOI: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2022.04.030

Patient engagement technologies (PETs) guide patients through perioperative care, but little is known about their costs-benefits. Retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing elective colorectal, cardiac, thoracic surgery 2015–2020. PET was implemented 2018. Patients were propensity-matched in pre-PET, PET, non-PET groups. Costs of surgical encounter and 30 days post-discharge, mortality, length-of-stay, readmissions, complications, satisfaction were compared. Overall, 4,373 patients underwent surgery and 607 (13.9%) patients enrolled in the PET. PET patients did not have increased costs in any specialty. Colorectal PET patients' variable costs of surgical encounter were $102 lower than non-PET, $1495 lower than pre-PET (p = 0.03). Thoracic PET patients’ total costs of surgical encounter were $9224 lower than non-PET, $2187 lower than pre-PET (p = 0.03). Thoracic PET patients had lower mean LOS (2.4 days, 5.1 non-PET, 3.1 pre-PET, p = 0.03). PET patient satisfaction ranged 86.0%–97.8%. Use of a PET did not increase costs and was associated with benefits for patients undergoing elective surgery. •Patients enrolled in a PET undergoing elective surgery did not have increased costs.•Colorectal and thoracic PET patients had cost savings of the surgical encounter.•Thoracic PET patients had shorter postoperative length of stay.•Patient engagement and satisfaction with the PET was high across all specialties.