[Evaluation of Multimodal Perioperative Care Pathway Supported by a Patient-facing Mobile App in Colorectal Surgery - First Clinical Experience and Patient Satisfaction].

BACKGROUND: Mobile health (mHealth) applications are gaining increasing importance in surgery, particularly for supporting prehabilitation, structured perioperative patient guidance, and post-discharge monitoring. However, in German-speaking countries, data on the systematic integration of such applications into routine surgical care remain limited. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility, user acceptance, and satisfaction associated with a newly developed multimodal perioperative patient app in colorectal surgery.

METHODS: This prospective observational study included 14 patients who underwent elective colorectal surgery between June and October 2025 and used an mPOM-based (multimodal perioperative management) patient app throughout the perioperative period. The application comprised prehabilitation modules, educational content for the inpatient phase, and structured post-discharge monitoring with standardised symptom assessments and predefined escalation criteria. Evaluation took place 30 days postoperatively using the validated GER-MAUQ questionnaire and additional project-specific items.

RESULTS: All participants used the app regularly until completion of treatment. Usability, clarity of the content, and navigation were rated very positively. All patients reported that the app supported their preoperative preparation; 85% also perceived their postoperative recovery as facilitated. Approximately 80% felt less left alone during both the perioperative and post-discharge phases. Reminder functions, digital recording of clinically relevant parameters, and continuous access to health information received particularly high ratings. In addition, 71% of respondents stated that the app facilitated access to healthcare services. Overall satisfaction and willingness to recommend the app were high.

CONCLUSION: The results of this pilot study demonstrate that multimodal digital patient guidance throughout the entire perioperative pathway in colorectal surgery is feasible and well accepted. Digital applications can effectively support prehabilitation, enhance patients' perceived sense of safety, promote self-management, and relieve organisational processes. However, larger prospective studies are required to reliably assess clinical outcome parameters and health economic effects.

The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

PMID: 42259375