Patient education self-management during surgical recovery: combining mobile (iPad) and a content management system

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this investigation was to assess whether a new electronic health (e-health) platform, combining mobile computing and a content management system, could effectively deliver modular and "just-in-time" education to older patients following cardiac surgery.

Subjects and methods: Patients were provided with iPad(®) (Apple(®), Cupertino, CA) tablets that delivered educational modules as part of a daily "to do" list in a plan of care. The tablet communicated wirelessly to a dashboard where data were aggregated and displayed for providers.

Results: A surgical population of 149 patients with a mean age of 68 years utilized 5,267 of 6,295 (84%) of education modules delivered over a 5.3-day hospitalization. Increased age was not associated with decreased use.

Conclusions: We demonstrate that age, hospitalization, and major surgery are not significant barriers to effective patient education if content is highly consumable and relevant to patients' daily care experience. We also show that mobile technology, even if unfamiliar to many older patients, makes this possible. The combination of mobile computing with a content management system allows for dynamic, modular, personalized, and "just-in-time" education in a highly consumable format. This approach presents a means by which patients may become informed participants in new healthcare models.

Figures

Fig. 1.

Screenshot of a “plan of the day,” including the patient's “to do” list. Each bar opens a series of tasks in each domain: “Gaining Strength,” “Education,” and “Planning Your Recovery.” ICU, intensive care unit. MVR, mitral value repair.

Fig. 2.

Percentage of educational modules content completed by day of recovery for content identified as “Education,” “Planning Your Recovery,” and the “Introduction to the Day” (day summary). Values are means.

Fig. 3.

The percentage of modules completed according to age. Each data point corresponds to the percentage of modules completed for a given patient, and the boxes correspond to the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles for each age group.