Perioperative is a term that refers to the time around surgery, lasting from the time the patient gets the referral for the operation to return to normal functioning. By utilising patients’ input, guidance and directions during planning and designing, this project aimed to engage patients and healthcare workers to collectively design (co-design) and evaluate an electronic health application (e-health app) to improve the perioperative journey for patients.

Every step towards surgery can affect the patient in surgical preparation and recovery. This is a complex journey for the patient, potentially taking 12-18 months. Patients transition through many surgical stages of care, including numerous non-clinician and clinician point-of-contacts offering varying health advice. Many patients experience distress, uncertainty, frustration and discomfort whilst waiting for surgery, leading to suboptimal surgical preparation and recovery. Pre-admission to the hospital and post-discharge care must be integrated, facilitating a smooth journey for the patient and reducing the burden on healthcare professionals. The co-design, development and evaluation of an e-health app can assist the RBWH perioperative services to provide the best experience possible for patients on this journey.

The study has successfully produced a co-designed e-health app layout that supports preparing for and recovering from surgery for adult elective surgery patients. The process involved groups and individuals’ interactions with many patients, their carers and/or family members, and healthcare workers. As a result of the challenges identified by the participants, this app is anticipated to benefit the patient experience and their recovery. CSIRO partners are developing the app, which will be further evaluated in a consumer and healthcare workers’ usability study.