Remote Telemonitoring to Improve Prehabilitation and Surgical Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Elective Abdominal Surgery

There is data confirming that simple tests of physical capability, such as the timed "get-up-and-go" test and the 6-minute walk test, correlate with surgical outcomes. It is reasonable to assume that preoperative telemonitoring, which allows for the tracking of more variables over a wider range of activities, could provide a significantly more accurate picture of a patient's physical fitness than a short one-time test performed in the clinic setting. Almost half of the patients who are readmitted at Washington University are readmitted for less than 4 days. The readmitted patients usually present with sepsis, are treated with antibiotics and percutaneous drainage, and are discharged home relatively quickly. Earlier identification of these patients, prior to the development of sepsis, would reduce the risks to the patient and allow for outpatient management.