Pre-op Assistant

Background

Between April and July 2023, 1,380 operations were cancelled at short notice (up to 2 days prior, and including ‘on the day’ cancellations) across Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust owing to inadequate patient preparedness. These cancellations are disruptive and costly, exacerbating service backlogs and increasing operation wait times across the region.

If a patient does not follow the required steps in their preparation programme (such as adjusting their medication routine, stopping smoking, or fasting) it’s much more likely that their operation will have to be cancelled and rescheduled. Patients have also been known to cancel or fail to attend their own appointments because they don’t feel adequately prepared for surgery.

However, by improving the accessibility and quality of the education resources provided to patients in the pre-operative period, the incidence of poor preparation and avoidable cancellations can be reduced. 61% of England’s working-age population find health information difficult to understand, and studies have found that 40% to 80% of the information given during appointments is forgotten immediately. 

Previously, the preparation materials provided to patients in the run up to planned surgery was in the form of text-based leaflets: this restricted the accessibility and impact of the information. 

The aim

Hull University Teaching Hospitals looked for a solution to support patients with their pre-operation learning needs, by presenting engaging and accessible health information in a way that would suit the majority of patients’ learning needs and preferences, to maximise accessibility.

It was identified there was a clear need for clear, accessible information to be provided to educate patients on the surgery preparation process, to avoid cancellations and help patients feel confident going into the procedure.

The solution:

Working closely with Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Cognitant applied a multidisciplinary co-creation approach to co-create with patients and clinicians ‘Pre-op Assistant’ – a learning resource designed to improve patient understanding and behavioural choices. In order to maximise the accessibility and impact of the resource, an immersive and interactive, VR educational experience was developed.

Throughout the experience, patients move across a series of different virtual spaces. In each space, they are presented with a checklist of questions that they might have. Each question is linked to an interactive object or character, which they will need to proceed onto the next scene.

By introducing virtual reality experiences to guide patients through the surgery preparation process, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is able to:

• reassure patients and increase their confidence in their surgery experience
• optimise surgery services by reducing the number of last minute cancellations,
• reduce waiting times and support backlog management
• improve surgery outcomes and recovery for patients

As well as the VR experience that is accessible in the hospital, the learning experience is also available on Healthinote, the UK’s leading patient learning platform, where users will still be able to view the experience in 360 and interactive with objects.

By providing co-created, engaging digital learning materials such as Pre-op Assistant that are easily accessible on demand, clinicians are able to feel more confident that their patients are equipped with the necessary knowledge to improve their pre- and post-surgery health outcomes. 

The experience will improve patient education to help reduce cancellations on the day of surgery, to optimise surgical capacity and enhance patient health outcomes. An increase in planned operations going ahead will improve patient flow through the hospital, which is expected to reduce hospital waiting times.

Testimonials

“Having this new technology as an option for our patients is incredibly valuable. It creates an engaging, memorable experience that helps patients understand, evaluate and retain information and uses a visual, interactive format which some patients find easier to use than traditional written instructions.

“We understand that preparing for surgery can sometimes be an overwhelming experience, which is why we’re also making these immersive experiences available for patients to access, via the internet, at home where family and loved ones can also help them prepare for surgery.”

“Hull Hospitals is a busy acute healthcare provider in the Yorkshire region, so not only can short notice cancellations have a big impact on patient waiting times but they can also be upsetting for patients who may have been waiting for some months to be seen. We’re looking forward to seeing the positive impact this new programme will have on waiting time reduction and, more importantly, on the experience of our patients preparing for surgery.”

Dr Dave Wright, Consultant Anaesthetist at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Director of Simulation at Hull Institute of Learning and Simulation (HILS)

“This is a great example of an NHS provider working hard to bring their waiting times down and improve experiences and outcomes for patients. We are pleased to be able to showcase how personalised experiences like this play an important role in improving the efficiency of NHS resources while also improving the experience for patients.

“We co-created the Pre-op Assistant immersive experience with patients and clinicians at Hull, to meet their needs, and ensure it was inclusive, accessible and engaging. We’re looking forward to seeing the continued impact of the solution for the benefit of patients, clinicians and the NHS”

Dr Tim Ringrose, co-founder and CEO at Cognitant