Use of a mobile health application by adult non-congenital cardiac surgery patients: A feasibility study

Mobile Health (mHealth) technologies are becoming integral to our healthcare system. This study evaluated the feasibility (compliance, usability and user satisfaction) of a mHealth application (app) for delivering Enhanced Recovery Protocols (ERPs) information to Cardiac Surgery (CS) patients peri-operatively. This single centre, prospective cohort study involved patients undergoing CS. Patients received a mHealth app developed for the study at consent and for 6-8 weeks post-surgery. Patients completed system usability, patient satisfaction and quality of life surveys pre- and post-surgery. A total of 65 patients participated in the study (mean age of 64 years). The app achieved an overall utilization rate of 75% (68% vs 81% for <65 and ≥65 years respectively). Pre-surgery, the majority of patients found the app easy to use (94%), user-friendly (89%), and felt confident using the app (92%). The majority also found the app's educational information useful (90%) and easy to find (88%). 75% of patients reported that they would like to use the app frequently. This percentage decreased to 57% in the post-discharge survey. A lower percentage of patients ≥65 years indicated their preference for the app over printed information (51% vs 87%) and their recommendation for the app (84% vs 100% for >65 and <65 years respectively) in the post-surgery survey. MHealth technology is feasible for peri-operative CS patient education, including older adult patients. The majority of patients were satisfied with the app and would recommend using it over the use of printed materials.