EVALUATING THE COST BENEFIT OF SEAMLESS MD MOBILE HEALTH PLATFORM TO IMPROVING SURGICAL OUTCOMES: PRELIMINARY FINDINGS ON SOCIETAL COSTS FOLLOWING KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERY AT NIAGARA HEALTH
Author(s)
Asif Khowaja, PhD1, Marina Stegne, Unknown2, Madeline Mantler, Bachelors3, Elaina Orlando, PhD2, Anteneh Ayanso, PhD3;
1Brock University, Associate Professor, St. Catharines, ON, Canada, 2Niagara Health, Niagara Region, ON, Canada, 3Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
1Brock University, Associate Professor, St. Catharines, ON, Canada, 2Niagara Health, Niagara Region, ON, Canada, 3Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
OBJECTIVES: With the rise of smartphones and real-time technologies, there is a growing demand for digital innovation to bridge service delivery gaps in surgical care. SeamlessMD, a digital health platform used at Niagara Health in Ontario, supports surgical patients through automated reminders, symptom monitoring, and postoperative education. There is a paucity of economic literature surrounding societal costs borne by patients recovering from surgery, particularly in a publicly funded healthcare context. This study reports preliminary findings on out-of-pocket (OOP) costs and time/productivity losses incurred within 1 year of knee surgery.
METHODS: As part of a multi-phase cost-benefit analysis of SeamlessMD, Phase I involved a structured online survey via Qualtrics. Patients who underwent knee replacement surgery reported OOP spending (e.g., transportation, parking) and time lost from work or caregiving responsibilities. Descriptive statistics were applied to estimate frequencies, proportions, and mean costs (in CAD).
RESULTS: Nine patients completed the survey, of which 6 (67%) were females, 4 (44%) were aged > 70 years, all (100%) were White, and 5 (56%) had post-secondary education. Transportation and parking were the most frequent OOP expenses within 30 days post-discharge, totalling CAD 435.50 per patient (average hospital parking CAD 36.25; gas CAD 33.75). Overall, meals, childcare, and supplies averaged CAD 2,794.5 per patient, and recovery/rehab costs were estimated CAD 753 per patient. Lost income or reduced productivity overall cost was estimated CAD 4,360 per patient, reflecting limited mobility, follow-up visits, and reliance on caregivers. Costs varied considerably by age/gender and time interval (7 days, 30 days, and 1 to 6 months) post-surgery.
CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary findings highlight implications related to financial and productivity burdens for patients recovering from knee surgery. These data provide base-case cost parameters for subsequent modelling of health resource utilization comparing patients using SeamlessMD to standard surgical care (the control group) from a societal perspective.
METHODS: As part of a multi-phase cost-benefit analysis of SeamlessMD, Phase I involved a structured online survey via Qualtrics. Patients who underwent knee replacement surgery reported OOP spending (e.g., transportation, parking) and time lost from work or caregiving responsibilities. Descriptive statistics were applied to estimate frequencies, proportions, and mean costs (in CAD).
RESULTS: Nine patients completed the survey, of which 6 (67%) were females, 4 (44%) were aged > 70 years, all (100%) were White, and 5 (56%) had post-secondary education. Transportation and parking were the most frequent OOP expenses within 30 days post-discharge, totalling CAD 435.50 per patient (average hospital parking CAD 36.25; gas CAD 33.75). Overall, meals, childcare, and supplies averaged CAD 2,794.5 per patient, and recovery/rehab costs were estimated CAD 753 per patient. Lost income or reduced productivity overall cost was estimated CAD 4,360 per patient, reflecting limited mobility, follow-up visits, and reliance on caregivers. Costs varied considerably by age/gender and time interval (7 days, 30 days, and 1 to 6 months) post-surgery.
CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary findings highlight implications related to financial and productivity burdens for patients recovering from knee surgery. These data provide base-case cost parameters for subsequent modelling of health resource utilization comparing patients using SeamlessMD to standard surgical care (the control group) from a societal perspective.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-05, ISPOR 2026, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue S6
Code
EE502
Topic
Economic Evaluation
Topic Subcategory
Cost/Cost of Illness/Resource Use Studies
Disease
STA: Surgery