One Day Surgery Integrating the Digital Technology

Abstract

One day surgery refers to a surgical procedure that does not require patients to stay overnight in the hospital. Patients typically remain in the hospital for a minimum of 2 hours but no more than 24 hours. Patients are expected to prepare themselves at home prior to surgery and come to the hospital on the day of the procedure. Following post-surgical recovery, patients who are able to care for themselves can return home on the same day. This reduces the duration of hospital stays, minimizes the risk of hospital-acquired infections, shortens the waiting time for surgeries and alleviates hospital overcrowding. currently, digital technology is being used to care for one day surgery patients by linking the digital healthcare service system with health information technology. After surgery, there is a continuous home care system have doctors, nurses or multidisciplinary professionals take care and closely monitoring the patient’s condition via telemedicine, so that health care personnel can work efficiently. Patients who are far away can access health services quickly and monitor their condition continuously 24 hours. As digital healthcare technology becomes more embedded in social of Thailand, healthcare professionals should be knowledgeable and aware of the use of technology in caring for one day surgery patients,laws and guidelines for using social media by health care professionals and individuals that may affect patients, taking into account ethics, confidentiality, and the security of patients’ personal information and be able to apply digital technology to care for and continuously monitor patients.The care process for one day surgery begins with a diagnosis and an assessment by a physician  to determine the patient’s eligibility for this type of surgery. The patient care process is divided into four stages: 1. pre-operative preparation time period starts from the patient is diagnosed and the doctor evaluation and decision this case is one day surgery until the patient of surgery. 2.perioperative care time period starts from the patient contacts to register to check the rights and ends with a follow-up visit after surgery within 24 to 72 hours after surgery. 3. post-operative recovery is a follow-up visit within the first week after surgery and 4. follow-up Treatment follow-up is a follow-up treatment after surgery at 1 month, 6 months, 1 year  and  3 years. Traditionally , follow-up has been conducted via telephone, sometime to problems of not being able to contact patients and cannot being able to following patients’ symptoms after surgery.Therefore, digital technology is being used as a guideline for patient following. There is training for health personnel to understand the knowledge of the one day surgery system with continuous patient care via telemedicine 24 hours. Examples, the development of patient care one day surgery system using digital technology including 1. The home patient continuity care system, which is a tool for managing patients treated at home via telemedicine 24 hours a day. 2. The use of digital technology in the care of one day surgery patients at Phaholpolpayuhasaena Hospital, Kanchanaburi Province is collaborating with community hospitals via telemedicine, has greatly reduced the steps of work, time and costs of visiting the hospital for patients and their relatives. 3.The care of patients after one day appendectomy surgery is a development of a home patient continuity care system with care standards comparable to those of patients care in hospitals. In addition, foreign countries have also found various forms of innovation that apply digital technology to the care of patients one day surgery, such as the use of computer-based detectors or wearable devices that connect data to the Internet, allowing patients and health care teams to access real-time post-operative information, continuously monitor patient physiological changes, and allow patients to self-report their post-operative symptoms and seek advice from health care teams, etc.

One day surgery care using intelligently digital technology provides benefits in healthcare that connect to patients and health personnel. Health information can be accessed easily,conveniently, quickly, and seamlessly, reducing waiting times and costs for patients visiting the hospital. Patients receive remote care via telemedicine and can be monitored conveniently, quickly and continuously. Although digital technology brings convenience, healthcare personnel should take into account ethics, be aware of the laws in using technology and must be aware of the importance of confidentiality and patient rights. Executives should support more integrated one day surgery with telemedicine in hospitals to reduce steps of work time for healthcare personnel and alleviates hospital overcrowding, organize training on the use of digital technology to increase specialized skills and prepare healthcare personnel and there should also be primary care units responsible for home visits that have been referred from one day surgery units to ensure that the provision of digital healthcare technology services is safe, reliable and will lead to the stability and sustainability of Thailand’s public health system.

Keywords: Digital technology, Health innovation, Health service, One day surgery