Current problems
A third of on-the-day cancellations are due to people not being clinically ready for treatment
Patients who are not fully ready for treatment are at greater risk of significant complications after surgery, which can result in a hospital admission up to three times longer than average and can lead to longer-term health problems and reduced chances of survival
The earlier pre-operative screening will also help identify patients with additional health needs who would benefit from extra support both before and after surgery, such as help to stop smoking or get physically fitter, or engagement with mental health services
Waiting lists for elective surgery are still recovering after hitting an all-time high during the first wave of the Covid pandemic, with thousands of people waiting over two years for surgical procedures
Limited ability for organisations to engage with those patients on the waiting list, to support patients in waiting well, determine whether the procedure is still required for the patient, as well as determine whether the patient needs to be moved up the waiting list due to deterioration
What is the NHS doing about it?
The NHS Elective Care Recovery Plan will shortly outline plans to roll out access to specialist teams made up of nurses, care coordinators and doctors, who will screen patients and work with them to develop personalised plans ahead of their surgical procedure.
Earlier pre-operative screening
PKB Solution
Validating waitlist via questionnaire to prevent DNAs
Support patients awaiting operations with care plans and a library of resources
Send patients digitally appointment and appointment letters
Make sure information is shared about patient requirements ahead of apt/treatment - and can check this is being actioned (care plans, questionnaires)
Validate support required by collecting data from patients to triage/stratify them ahead of interactions (care plans, questionnaires, messaging)
Make sure information to support informed consent is shared (care plans, library)
Care plans for all stages of peri-operative care, consent, pre-operative assessment, post-operative, post-op rehab and enhanced recovery
Key PKB features
PKB can be used in all areas of peri-operative care.
Consultations
Below is a list of created consultations you can use with your patients and teams.
Pre-operative questionnaires
Pre clinic questionnaire
Pre Op Assessment
Assessment for adult care in the day surgery unit
Messaging
Patients have access to secure messaging (saving time on the phone).
Admin team can triage, either resolve or pass onto the nursing team.
Enhance recovery for post-operative care
Library
A wealth of resources such as pre op, post op
Wound care
Rehab
National and local information and guidance
Videos
Hospital and trust information
Disease-specific information
Care plans
PKB have a care plan toolkit with examples of care plan templates created. There is also a process for teams to have care plans amended or created for you to look at here.
Personalised care plan templates
Disease care plan with individualised templates with escalation plans
A place to track and record symptoms related to the speciality
Journal
Digitalise journal
Pre-surgery
Post-surgery to support enhanced recovery programs
Data
Appointments
Appoint letters
Clinical letters
Comms
Clear information for patients on how to use PKB to self-manage their health care
Comms to staff on the new clinical and patient pathways
How teams are currently using PKB for Peri-operative care
Diabetes
The team manage the cohort of patients admitted for surgery who have a diagnosis of Diabetes. PKB is used as part of a Diabetes/Surgical improvement project for patients with Diabetes throughout the Perioperative process. From Pre-assessment through to postoperative discharge follow-up. Enabling the use of the library for information and health and well-being support throughout the perioperative process.
The team also uses the function of sharing key documents (Passports/letters/advice), messaging and library.
Pre-operatively
PKB is used to collect patient information ahead of surgery. Information is assessed to confirm patient suitability for surgery and determine the surgery pathway. Patients are expected to complete a health and lifestyle questionnaire (PKB consultation) at home. The results are assessed and patients are streamlined to an appropriate surgical pathway. Once the surgery is performed, patients are discharged from an inpatient list either to GP care or to an outpatient setting.
Orthopaedics
The Ortho Prehab team are using consultations, library resources and a care plan on PKB to support patients awaiting joint replacement surgery. The care plan and resources form an 8-week prehabilitation programme with everything from exercise videos to mental health activities. Patients would otherwise have no in-person support as they are low priority, compared to higher priority patients who attend a 12-week course in person.
Renal
The ERAS renal team are using PKB to digitalise their journal. Patients will be made aware of the journal pre-surgery and then asked to complete from immediately after surgery and for 10 days to monitor vitals.
Colorectal
The team have a care plan that informs patients about what they should do ahead of surgery and has a place to document progress immediately post-op to help with a quicker discharge.
Further information
Elective Recovery: how PKB can digitally support teams and patients at every stage of the pathway
Surgery teams: workflow and content
Peri-operative care plans templates: examples of pre-op, consent, minor procedures and post-op templates created and used by teams