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September 14, 2026Interdisciplinary CardioVascular and Thoracic SurgeryOpen Access

A digital, patient-centered carepath for cardiac surgical care with continuous remote patient monitoring

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Why the study?

Does a digital care pathway with 21-day continuous remote monitoring improve recovery and reduce 30-day readmission or mortality in patients after cardiac surgery?

Population

427 patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Monitored group mean age 66.7 years, control group mean age 70.1…

Comparison

Phygital care pathway combining Enhanced… vs Historical, non-monitored cohort of 206 patients.

Design

Cohort

Follow-up

30 days

Key result

A digital care pathway with 21-day continuous remote monitoring after cardiac surgery resulted in similar 30-day readmission rates (12.7% vs 12.1%, p=0.88) compared to a historical cohort.

Authors

GSGuylian StevensAZ Maria MiddelaresJFJelle FleerakkersAZ Maria MiddelaresJFJ FrançoisAZ Maria Middelares

Discussion

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Overview

Phygital remote monitoring pathway may improve post-cardiac surgery recovery; leaves open whether it reduces complications versus standard care.

Key Points

  • To assess the feasibility and clinical impact of an integrated care pathway combining Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols with 21-day continuous remote vital-sign monitoring in cardiac surgical patients.
  • Retrospectively compared a prospective cohort receiving 21-day continuous remote monitoring (N=221; May–November 2025) to a historical, non-monitored control cohort (N=206).
  • Monitored physiological variables (heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, blood pressure, oxygen saturation) with daily clinical review and escalation to a cardiac surgeon as indicated.
  • Evaluated Quality of Recovery (QoR-15) preoperatively and on postoperative days 3 and 7, 30-day patient-reported experience measures (PREM), 30-day readmission, and mortality.
  • Good-to-excellent Quality of Recovery increased from 25% on day 3 to 56% on day 7 among monitored patients, with 34% (n=75) requiring 98 clinical interventions (primarily medication changes and primary-care referrals).
  • Thirty-day readmission (12.7% vs 12.1%, Fisher p = 0.88) and 30-day mortality (0.45% vs 1.4%, Fisher p = 0.36) did not differ significantly between the monitored and historical cohorts.
  • Monitored patients were significantly younger than historical controls (mean 66.7 vs 70.1 years, p = 0.0004), likely due to digital literacy criteria, and reported PREM scores exceeding 91%.

Study Design

Type

Cohort (n=427)

Structured PICO

Does a digital care pathway with 21-day continuous remote monitoring improve recovery and reduce 30-day readmission or mortality in patients after cardiac surgery?

P
Population
427 patients recovering from cardiac surgery, comparing a 21-day continuous remote monitoring pathway (n=221) to a historical non-monitored cohort (n=206) followed for 30 days.
E
Exposure
Phygital care pathway combining Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols and 21-day continuous remote monitoring (heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, blood pressure, oxygen saturation) with daily review and escalation to a cardiac surgeon when indicated.
C
Comparator
Historical, non-monitored cohort of 206 patients.
O
Outcome
Quality of Recovery (QoR-15) on preoperative day -1 and postoperative days 3 and 7, patient-reported experience (PREM) on day 30, 30-day readmission, and 30-day mortality.

Main Result

Absolute Event Rate: 12.7% vs 12.1%

p-value: p=0.88

A 21-day continuous remote monitoring pathway after cardiac surgery is feasible and yields high patient satisfaction, though it did not significantly reduce 30-day readmissions or mortality compared to a historical cohort.

Limitations

  • Probable selection bias from smartphone and digital-literacy eligibility criteria
  • Retrospective comparison with a historical cohort
  • Findings are hypothesis-generating and require prospective confirmation
  • Selection bias from smartphone and digital-literacy eligibility criteria

Cite This Study

Stevens et al. (2026) conducted a cohort in Postoperative recovery after cardiac surgery (n=427). Phygital care pathway with ERAS protocols and 21-day continuous remote monitoring vs. Historical non-monitored cohort was evaluated on 30-day readmission (p=0.88). A digital care pathway with 21-day continuous remote monitoring after cardiac surgery resulted in similar 30-day readmission rates (12.7% vs 12.1%, p=0.88) compared to a historical cohort.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6aa7afef79e9260bc85aace3https://doi.org/10.1093/icvts/ivag253
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