Background
Western & Central Melbourne Integrated Cancer Service (WCMICS) supported West Metro Health Service Partnership (WMHSP) on a range of surgical reform programs. Collaboratively, we implemented Enhanced Recovery After Surgery plus Prehabilitation (ERAS+) at several member hospitals.
As part of ERAS+ implementation, Virtual Surgery School (VSS) launched early 2023. VSS is a new concept of delivering educational materials through videos and brochures for upcoming surgery.
VSS 22 translated videos support the delivery of consistent, high quality, universal prehabilitation for all patients preparing for surgery.
Method
Content was codesigned with clinicians and consumers from member hospitals. The videos cover evidence-based advice on general, condition-specific, and same-day surgery,
VSS consists of nine core videos applicable to all types of surgeries, alongside thirteen condition-specific videos tailored for head and neck, gynaecology, colorectal, and orthopaedic surgeries.
The videos are translated into Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, Greek, and Arabic, and Access to VSS is via a web browser or app. The digital platform enables collection of patient reported experience measures (PREM) to help improve patient care.
Results
VSS was successfully implemented at 5 member hospitals and is now being sought after by health services across metropolitan Melbourne.
Using the AHPEQS PREM, results indicate high confidence and satisfaction in VSS; 98% patients reported satisfaction the amount of information received before surgery.
Furthermore, 98% report that content was easy to understand, and 95% reported feeling supported for recovery post-surgery.
"The Virtual Surgery School videos were incredibly helpful in preparing me for my procedure. They provided clear and easy-to-understand information about what to expect before, during, and after surgery." - [Patient Quote].
Conclusions
VSS is an evidence-based approach to surgical care that aims to minimise the stress of surgery for patients and support them to recover quickly.