A mobile application for wound and symptom surveillance after colorectal surgery: a feasibility randomized controlled trial protocol (Preprint)

UNSTRUCTURED Background: Surgical site infections (SSI) are the most common nosocomial infection and occur in 16.3% of patients undergoing colorectal surgery at our institution, the majority of which are identified after discharge from hospital. Patients concerned to have an SSI, generally present to the emergency department or surgery clinic. Both options for in-person interaction are costly to the healthcare system and patients. A mobile application How2trak has proven to be beneficial for patients with complex wounds at our institution by facilitating at-home monitoring and virtual consultations. Aim: This study aims to assess the feasibility of a randomized controlled trial to assess if How2trak can improve patients' experience, and increase detection of surgical site infections after colorectal surgery while reducing their risk of COVID-19 exposure. Methods: In this single-center, prospective feasibility trial, eligible patients undergoing colorectal surgery will be randomized to either standard care or How2trak post-operative monitoring of their incision, symptoms, and ostomy function. Patient self-assessments will be monitored by a nurse specialized in wound and ostomy care who will follow-up with patients with a suspected SSI. The primary outcome is feasibility as measured by enrollment, randomization, application usability, data extraction, and resource capacity. Results: This study was approved by our institution's ethics board February 26, 2021 and received support from The Ottawa Hospital Innovation and Care Funding November 12, 2021. Recruitment started June 3, 2021 and as of September, 2021 we had 29 patients enrolled. We expect to publish results in spring 2022.