Anest. intenziv. Med. 2017;28(4):226-231

Preoperative assessment using mobile technologies in the Czech Republic - are our patients ready for it? Prospective, observational, multicentre, cross-sectional studyAnaesthesiology - Original Paper

T. Pařízek¹, R. Gál², J. Hložková³, P. Neumann¹, J. Škola¹, R. Škulec¹, P. Štourač⁴, R. Urbanec⁵, T. Vymazal⁶, Černý V.^1,7,8,9,*

¹ Klinika anesteziologie, perioperační a intenzivní medicíny, Univerzita J. E. Purkyně v Ústí nad Labem Masarykova nemocnice v Ústí nad Labem, Institut postgraduálního vzdělávání ve zdravotnictví

² Klinika anesteziologie, resuscitace a intenzivní medicíny, Fakultní nemocnice Brno, Lékařská fakulta Masarykovy univerzity

³ Klinika anesteziologie, resuscitace a intenzivní medicíny, Fakultní nemocnice Olomouc, Lékařská fakulta Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci

⁴ Klinika dětské anesteziologie a resuscitace, Fakultní nemocnice Brno, Lékařská fakulta, Masarykova univerzita

⁵ Klinika anesteziologie, resuscitace a intenzivní medicíny, Fakultní nemocnice Ostrava, Lékařská fakulta Ostravská univerzita

⁶ Klinika anesteziologie, resuscitace a intenzivní medicíny, 2. lékařská fakulta Univerzity Karlovy a Fakultní nemocnice Motol

⁷ Centrum pro výzkum a vývoj, Fakultní nemocnice Hradec Králové

⁸ Dept. of Anesthesia, Pain Management and Perioperative Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Kanada

⁹ Klinika anesteziologie, resuscitace a intenzivní medicíny, Lékařská fakulta v Hradci Králové, Univerzita Karlova

Objective:
The aim of our study was to find out whether patients scheduled for elective surgery owned a smartphone, had access to internet/e-mail and whether they would be willing to undergo preoperative assessment (POA) using internet/mobile devices.

Design:
Observational, prospective, multicentre, cross-sectional study.


Setting:
Preoperative clinics at tertiary care hospitals in the Czech Republic.

Materials and methods:
The study was based on a simple questionnaire which the patients had to answer at the end of their POA appointment. The recorded data included age, gender, level of education, ownership of a smartphone, access to internet/e-mail and the patients' willingness to undergo remote POA. The obtained data were analysed using descriptive statistical methods.

Results:
We analysed data from 1685 patients. Total 957 (57%) of them owned a smartphone, 1330 (79%) had access to the internet and 1260 (75%) used e-mail. Total 536 patients (32%) were willing to undergo remote POA. Patients with a university degree (164 of 343, 48%) were more likely to be willing to have remote POA.

Conclusion:
More than half of the patients undergoing POA owned a smartphone, had internet connection and used e-mail. Overall one third of the patients expressed their willingness to undergo remote POA; this proportion was higher in patents with a degree.

Keywords: preoperative assessment; telemedicine

Received: March 19, 2017; Accepted: April 17, 2017; Published: August 1, 2017  Show citation