Digital Follow-up Program After Discharge Home Following Thoracic Surgery

Launched by UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, BASEL, SWITZERLAND · Jun 25, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is testing a digital follow-up program to see if it can help patients manage pain better and improve their quality of life during the first 28 days after they go home following chest surgery. Instead of the usual follow-up care, patients will use a smartphone or computer to answer questions and receive support through this program. The study aims to find out if this digital approach makes recovery easier and more comfortable after surgery.

People who might take part are adults (18 years or older) who have had chest surgery at the University Hospital Basel, stayed in the hospital for more than three nights, and speak German or French. Participants or a family member living with them should be comfortable using a smartphone or computer to complete online questionnaires. The study does not include patients who are already on certain strong medications before surgery, have serious psychological conditions, or had other major injuries. If eligible, participants can expect to be involved shortly after leaving the hospital, using the digital program to track their recovery and pain levels from home.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Patients who have signed an informed consent form and underwent a surgery performed at the Thoracic Surgery Department of the University Hospital Basel
• • Age ≥ 18 years at the time of informed consent
• • First participation in the Study
• • Patient operated under general anesthesia
• • Patients who are in possession of a smart phone or personal computer and have an e-mail account and are able to answer a digital questionnaire. Or an immediate caretaker in the same household owns a smartphone or personal computer and is familiar with the use
• • Patients who understand verbal and written German or French
• • Patients discharged at home after surgery
• • Hospital stay \> 3 nights after surgery
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Patients under preoperative opioid/cortisone therapy
• • Patients who are unable to follow the procedure of the study, e. g. read or understand German or French, psychological disorders, dementia, etc.
• • Enrolment of the investigator, his/her family members, employees and other dependent person
• • Patients with polytrauma or who underwent mediastinoscopy