Use Case III

Redefining Cardiac Surgery recovery

This use case aims to transform cardiac surgery recovery by moving from fragmented practices to a structured, continuous, and patient-centred pathway of care. Cardiac surgery involves complex perioperative management, where variability in preparation, recovery, and follow-up can impact both outcomes and patient experience.

The goal is to standardise key steps across the entire journey, from pre-operative preparation to post-discharge recovery, ensuring that patients are better prepared for surgery, supported throughout hospitalisation, and monitored beyond discharge.

The vision is to build a more coordinated and predictable recovery pathway that improves clinical outcomes, enhances patient experience, and strengthens continuity of care between hospital and home.

Healthcare Innovation

Patient Care

Surgical Recovery

Partners involved:

Recovery

Transform Cardiac Surgery recovery

This use case aims to transform cardiac surgery recovery by implementing a structured Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) programme tailored specifically for cardiac procedures. While several evidence-based practices are already in place, they are often applied as separate initiatives rather than as one fully coordinated pathway.

By bringing these elements together into a single, standardised programme, the use case ensures that all patients receive consistent preparation, including optimisation of key risk factors, structured education, and clear recovery milestones. This coordinated approach supports safer surgery, reduces variability in care, and improves overall recovery.

A key focus is on prehabilitation programmes to better prepare patients for surgery, reduce anxiety, and improve readiness. In parallel, stronger coordination between multidisciplinary teams ensures a smoother transition from surgery to recovery, both in hospital and at home.

Towards a more coordinated and continuous recovery pathway

By transforming cardiac surgery recovery into a coordinated, end-to-end pathway that starts before surgery and continues after discharge, this use case addresses current limitations in patient preparation, variability in care delivery, and limited visibility of recovery once patients return home.

This approach enables more consistent care, earlier identification of potential complications, and more proactive follow-up, ultimately improving both patient outcomes and healthcare system efficiency.

Key expected outcomes include:

Improved patient satisfaction

driven by more structured, personalised and continuous support throughout the surgical journey.

Reduction in perioperative anxiety levels

through better preparation, clearer information, and structured prehabilitation programmes.

Higher adherence to standardised care protocols

ensuring consistent delivery of key recovery steps across all patients.

Improvement in clinical quality and recovery scores

including better overall recovery and wellbeing after surgery.

Reduction in postoperative complications

particularly respiratory, infectious, and cognitive complications.

Reduction in rehospitalisation rates

through earlier identification and management of recovery issues.

Decreased ICU and hospital length of stay

enabled by faster recovery and more predictable discharge pathways.

Improved efficiency of care delivery

through better coordination across multidisciplinary teams and more proactive follow-up after discharge.