Feasibility and acceptability of an app for monitoring acute postoperative pain in major outpatient surgery.

INTRODUCTION

By allowing intensive monitoring of acute postoperative pain (APP), mHealth could be clinically useful in contexts with a high prevalence of moderate to severe APP.

OBJECTIVE

The primary objective was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of an app for monitoring DAP. The secondary objectives were to describe DAP during the first week of the postoperative period, to analyse factors associated with it and to assess adherence and satisfaction with analgesic treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Observational and prospective study in patients undergoing surgery under major ambulatory surgery (MAS) regimen who reported the intensity of DAP for 7 days with an app. We determined the proportions that agreed to use it and who made trajectories of DAP ≥5 days, the pattern of use of the app and the results. Risk factors associated with DAP were analyzed. Satisfaction with DAP control and adherence to the analgesic regimen were assessed through surveys.

RESULTS

53.4% ​​of patients measured their DAP with the app. The main reason for exclusion was technological limitations (75.1%). An uninterrupted DAP trajectory of ≥5 days was traced in 74.4% of patients and a high prevalence of moderate to severe DAP was observed, as well as a high proportion of patients who adhered little or not at all and were little or not at all satisfied with the analgesic results obtained.

CONCLUSIONS

Monitoring DAP with the app used was feasible and accepted by patients. It provided clinically useful information by allowing DAP trajectories to be traced and detecting high proportions of patients with moderate to severe DAP, dissatisfied with the analgesic results obtained and non-compliant with analgesic guidelines.