E-Health & Major surgery

Background

Perioperative medicine is an evolving area of medicine being lead by the Royal College of Anaesthetists in collaboration with several other specialty organisations. Despite advances in modern anaesthesia and surgical care survival and poor outcomes remain a serious problem for patients undergoing major surgery.  With over 1.5 million major surgical operations performed each year in the UK improving clinical outcomes after major surgery is a public health priority.  

This year in partnership with the Society of Computing and Technology in Anaesthesia we are holding a a perioperative hackathon to champion digital innovation to tackle the burden of perioperative morbidity and mortality.  This event will stimulate local digital innovation towards paperless perioperative care for major surgery while extending the national use case for an open standards approach to digital innovation that drives a truly open market with patient centred outcomes at its heart.  

Scope

We welcome ideas for digital innovation around any aspect of the surgical patient journey from contemplation of a major operation to completion of recovery (excluding the intraoperative period unless high level of innovation strongly justified by the proposer).  Any patient or healthcare professional involved in the journey for any type of major surgery (Lung, Heart, Bowel, Gynaecology, orthopaedic, ENT, Brain) are welcome to participate.  Ideas for innovation for non-major surgery in children are also welcome. Project proposals should map to one of the themes below.

Projects / proposals / participants

We welcome any idea that aims to enhance the quality, safety and experience of patients undergoing major surgery (or any children’s surgery) from the point of first contemplation to completion of recovery. In keeping with the perioperative medicine programme definition intraoperative care is not a specific consideration but projects with such a focus will be considered on a case by case basis. 

There are four domains - description to be added & modified as suits the project

1. Enhanced risk assessment for surgery: planning with patients & personalising prediction of outcomes
2. Enhanced risk adjustment (& resource allocation)for surgery: personalising care - managing anaemia, activity, diabetes etc..
3. Enhanced recovery after surgery: standardising pathways before & after surgery to maximise flow & evolution of information for optimal patient flow. 
4. Enhanced rescue after surgery: recognition of complications & rescue to minimise severity for morbidity and  adverse outcomes