A 'light touch' digitally delivered, self-administered, prehabilitation pathway was acceptable to consumers and improved surgical outcomes for elective hip and knee replacements.

Abstract

PurposeThis study aimed to evaluate the clinical and financial outcomes of the My PreHab Program (MPP), a digitally delivered, patient-led prehabilitation initiative for patients undergoing elective hip or knee arthroplasty across two metropolitan hospitals.MethodsAn observational cohort study of MPP participants compared to a standard care group (SCG). MPP participants were invited via text message to complete a Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and received tailored health information on modifiable risk factors. For analysis, demographic data, length of stay (h = hours), hospital-acquired complications, readmission rates and hospital costings were collected from hospital records and the digital platform's website.ResultsA 24-h reduction in length of stay was observed in MPP participants compared to the SCG (MPP: 107 h vs SCG: 131 h, <i>p</i> = <0.001). The average cost of an admission for MPP participants was $2,251.85 less than SCG. MPP participants rated the program as acceptable (3.6/5), appropriate (3.6/5), and feasible (3.8/5).ConclusionMPP demonstrated promising results, specifically by reducing length of stay and hospital costs. These findings support broader implementation of digitally delivered, self-administered prehabilitation programs as an effective, affordable strategy in elective surgery pathways.