Using Health 4.0 to Enable Post-Operative Wellness Monitoring: The Case of Colorectal Surgery

2. Background

In a recent study by the International Surgical Group on the dynamics of surgery across the globe, the findings indicated that over 320 million people globally have undergone surgical procedures; approximately 17% of these patients develop several complications and among them nearly 2.8% pass away due to these complications. It can, therefore, be estimated that approximately 1.5 million patients annually or three patients per day die due to post-operative complications. For instance, Bartels et al (2013) argue that in America, if the postoperative mortality was to be included in the official statistics as per the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it would depict the third leading cause of death after heart illness and cancer (Bartels et al. 2015). Succinctly, many patients die in the ward or post discharge, where the doctor to patient ratio is low and where the individuals are not continuously monitored. Monitoring patients beyond the operating room and ICU may enable early detection of medical deterioration and timely interventions (Michard et al., 2015). Michard et al. (2015) notes that postoperative complications are not only a human burden but also a dramatic increase in the hospital expenses. As a result of this clinical and economic burden, a number of initiatives have been developed to offer an advanced quality of surgical care, including clear surgical safety specifications, minimally-invasive surgical procedures, protecting mechanical ventilation, and improved post-surgical recovery initiatives (Bartels et al., 2013). Due to recent technological advancements and innovations in healthcare systems it is becoming easier to monitor patients in the ward and post discharge and this in turn serves to improve patient satisfaction and overall outcomes.