Title : The use of health information technology in postoperative care for women: A scoping review
Abstract:
Background: Increasing cesarean section rates is a global trend. From 2004 to 2021, the cesarean section rate in the United States increased from 29.1% to 32.1%. During the same period, Taiwan’s cesarean section rate ranged from 33.1% to 37.9%. The shortened duration of postoperative hospital stays and absence the of opportunities to receive support from healthcare professionals have negative implications for the occurrence of surgical site infections in patients. The incidence of surgical site infection ranges from 3% to 15%, with maternal mortality rates reaching up to 3%. Health information technologies could potentially improve the postoperative management of wounds. Patients who have undergone cesarean section prefer to use health information technology, especially those that provide reliable information, identify and track complications, and surgical outcomes. This scoping review aims to evaluate the current status and use of health information technologies interventions designed to provide postoperative wound management in cesarean section.
Methods: This scoping review was conducted by the PRISMA statement (Extension for Scoping Review) and follows the framework of Arskey and O'Malley.
Results: The use of health information technologies in the cesarean section is mainly oriented towards the development and evaluation of applications to improve image-based monitoring of surgical site infections, decrease surgical site infection rate from informed decision-making, and provide reliable post-discharge surveillance tools.
Conclusions: Study findings health information technologies are an efficient and cost-effective platform for surgical site infection surveillance of cesarean section. Health information technologies can have a positive impact both on patient engagement in postoperative wound management and on the communication between patients and health professionals, increasing the quality of care.
Audience Take Away:
- The utilization of health information technology can significantly enhance patient engagement in postoperative wound management.
- Health information technology allows us to personalize patient care, and improve image-based postoperative follow-up in wound care.
- Health information technology provides a technological advancement that facilitates remote care while reducing its costs.
