Cost-effectiveness of a systematic e-assessed follow-up of postoperative recovery after day surgery : a multicentre randomized trial

• Background: Most surgeries are done on a day-stay basis. Recovery assessment by phone points (RAPP) is a smartphonebased application (app) to evaluate patients after day surgery. The aim of this study was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of using RAPP for follow-up on postoperative recovery compared with standard care.Methods: This study was a prospective parallel single-blind multicentre randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomly allocated to the intervention group using RAPP or the control group receiving standard care. A cost-effectiveness analysis was performed based on individual data and included costs for the intervention, health effect [quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs)], and costs or savings in health-care use.Results: The mean cost for health-care consumption during 2 weeks after surgery was estimated at e37.29 for the intervention group and e60.96 for the control group. The mean difference was e23.66 (99% confidence interval 46.57 to0.76; P¼0.008). When including the costs of the intervention, the cost-effectiveness analysis showed net savings of e4.77 per patient in favour of the intervention. No difference in QALYs gained was seen between the groups (P¼0.75). The probability of the intervention being cost-effective was 71%.Conclusions: This study shows that RAPP can be cost-effective but had no effect on QALY. RAPP can be a cost-effective toolin providing low-cost health-care contacts and in systematically assessing the quality of postoperative recovery.Clinical trial registration:NCT02492191

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Anestesi och intensivvård (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Anesthesiology and Intensive Care (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Ambulatory surgery

cost effectiveness

mobile applications

postoperative period

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)