Team launches digital tool for pre-op assessment | News

Pre-operative assessment is vital for the safety and wellbeing of patients facing surgery, helping to ensure that they are fit and ready and preventing delays or cancellations.  

Traditionally pre-op assessments have involved paper-based forms and patient information leaflets, but thanks to a Trust team led by Consultant Anaesthetist Dr Harsh Saxena, this process has now been digitised, with this week seeing the launch of LifeBox.  

LifeBox is a digital tool that builds an interactive patient summary by allowing patients to complete part of their pre-assessment at home via an online healthcare questionnaire. Two-way file sharing between the Trust and the patient allows for secure exchange of information such as test results, medication, fasting advice and useful information ahead of their procedure. 

Once the patient has completed their healthcare questionnaire, a pre-op assessment team reviews the information. If needed, the team will arrange a phone call to discuss the patient’s medical history and some patients may be asked to attend the pre-assessment department for tests or checks.

Dr Saxena said: “The benefits of using LifeBox are many and include being able to empower patients and engage them more fully in their own care, educating them about their surgical procedure and facilitating smooth admission. It also allows us to improve standardisation of patient care and reduce unnecessary hospital visits.

“Completing part of their pre-assessment away from the hospital not only lessens the stress for patients, but it also allows close family and friends to be more involved in the process and support their loved ones more effectively.

“Not only are the patient benefits great, but we’re also fortunate that LifeBox has been funded by a Small Business Research Grant so it’s good value for the Trust too.”

The LifeBox digital tool includes a unique selection of information videos explaining each procedure and providing information for patients to manage their expectations and give them a greater understanding of what will happen. It aims to help clinicians optimise their patient’s care and safety by identifying individual needs earlier, resulting in improved allocation of nurse time and a better patient experience.

The launch is just the first phase in LifeBox’s evolution. Plans are already in place to set up recovery virtual clinics for patients to get advice after their operation without coming into hospital. As part of the LifeBox project, the team will also be carrying out ‘real life validation studies’ in association with Unity Insights and KSS Deanery collaboration. 

The digital solutions being implemented by Dr Saxena and his team have been created by medical consultants and digital experts at Definition Health, a digital health technology company based at the Sussex Innovation Centre in Brighton.