Making sure a surgery is successful.
Numerous studies confirm the benefits that presurgical guidance and preparation have in reducing complications, enhancing overall patient satisfaction, and improving quality of life.
Preoperative preparation:
Nimble Health prepares patients for their day of surgery, helping them understand what to expect both during and after a procedure. Preplanning can help alleviate patient anxiety and boost confidence. Examples of questions we suggest that patients consider with their physician’s input include:
- Will family or friends act as caregivers?
- Is there a prescription medication schedule to follow for pain management?
- Is it necessary to make household modifications such as moving furniture, rolling up rugs, boarding pets, or adding night-lights to prevent falls?
- Who will provide transportation for the patient’s postoperative visits?
- Will mobility devices such as a wheelchair, a scooter, crutches, or a ramp be necessary?
- Is meal preparation needed?
Postoperative support:
To support members after surgery, Nimble Health’s health coaches call members 3 days after a procedure to check in, answer questions, and provide recovery guidance.
The most common concerns members have after surgery include:
- Pain control/pain management.
- Worrying symptoms (fever, discharge, bleeding).
- Unanswered questions for the surgeon (level of activity, amount of movement).
- Medication and medical concerns (blood clots, swelling, etc.).
Postoperative pain management and opioid monitoring:
The USASP (U.S. Association for the Study of Pain) recently published a report on postoperative pain, highlighting the need for more proactive, consistent, and thorough care, finding that:
- Less than 50% of patients who experienced acute postoperative pain reported it.
- 25% of patients did not report postoperative pain that they rated as moderate, severe, or extreme.
- Over 50% of the patients in the study reported that their postoperative pain relief was inadequate.
Inadequately controlled pain can negatively affect a member’s quality of life and functional recovery, paving the way for the risk of postsurgical complications or even ongoing chronic pain. Nimble Health’s nurse health coaches work with patients to monitor and alleviate postsurgical pain issues. Our nurse health coaches also monitor appropriate use of pain medication and use of alternative pain management techniques.