Home To Stay: a Randomized Trial Evaluating a Post-discharge Mobile App for Elective Colorectal Surgery

Division of General Surgery , Mt. Sinai Hospital

Status: Completed

Conditions: Surgery; Utilization, Health Care; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Post Discharge Monitoring; Colorectal Cancer

Treatments: Other: Home To Stay Mobile Health Application

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04968145

HomeToStay

Details and patient eligibility

About

A single center randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of a post-discharge mobile health application on 30-day re-admission and patient reported outcomes following elective colorectal surgery

Full description

Background: Following elective colorectal surgery, rates of re-admission are high and result in significant healthcare resource use. However, up to 20% of these re-admissions may be preventable. This represents an opportunity to improve patient outcomes, reduce health care utilization and costs through targeted interventions.

Home To Stay is an integrated discharge monitoring program using a mobile app platform that was developed to support the needs of patients following discharge after colorectal surgery. In the initial pilot testing, the 30-day re-admission rate for patients using Home to Stay was reduced from 18% to 6% and patient anxiety was reduced in over 75% of the participants.

Methods: This study is a two arm, single center, randomized control trial that will be conducted in the colorectal unit of an academic tertiary care center. Patients will be randomized1:1 using a single randomized consent design to either usual follow up in the control group or post discharge monitoring with Home to Stay in the intervention group.

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the Home to Stay app and its effect on healthcare utilization and patient reported outcomes.

Enrollment: 282 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients undergoing elective, inpatient colorectal surgery
• Able to speak and read in English
• Able to provide informed consent
• Have access to a smartphone/tablet or desktop computer with internet access

Exclusion criteria

• Patients undergoing semi-elective/emergent procedure
• Patients undergoing elective day surgery
• Expected post operative admission of less than 3 days
• Discharge to another institution (rehabilitation facility/nursing home/long term care).

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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282 participants in 2 patient groups

Control Group

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants in the control group receive routine follow up care which consists of (i) written instructions regarding potential complications and the contact information of their treating surgeon, (ii) a follow up telephone call 4 weeks following discharge by a member of the health care team and (iii) an in-person follow up visit in clinic with the treating surgeon 4-6 weeks following discharge.

Intervention Group

Experimental group

Description:

The participants in the intrevention group receive the same routine care as the control group in addition to post discharge monitoring with the Home to Stay app

Treatment:

Other: Home To Stay Mobile Health Application