A new patient engagement app may help new mothers recover following a cesarean section, according to research presented at an annual meeting hosted by American Society of Anesthesiologists.
The researchers — led by Attila Kett, MD, of Saint Peter's University Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J. — reported on the first 30 women to use the smartphone app, all of whom were scheduled for C-sections and enrolled in a perioperative surgical home program. The app, which participants downloaded four weeks prior to the procedure, reminded patients of appointments, medication information and postoperative health checks.
The average length of hospital stay after delivery was 2.7 days for these women, compared with an average of 3.7 days for those who did not use the app. Although the researchers say it is too soon to conclusively report on quality outcomes like infection and patient satisfaction, Dr. Kett noted the preliminary results are promising.