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. 2015 Nov;21(11):946-9.
doi: 10.1089/tmj.2014.0199. Epub 2015 Mar 6.

Feasibility of a Mobile Phone-Based Surveillance for Surgical Site Infections in Rural India

Ashish Pathak  1   2   3 , Shailendra Sharma  4 , Megha Sharma  1   5 , Vijay K Mahadik  6 , Cecilia Stålsby Lundborg  1
Affiliations

Feasibility of a Mobile Phone-Based Surveillance for Surgical Site Infections in Rural India

Ashish Pathak et al. Telemed J E Health. 2015 Nov.

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the feasibility of using mobile communication technology in completing a 30-day follow-up of surgical site infection (SSI).

Subjects and methods: SSIs are infections occurring up to 30 days after an operative procedure. This prospective exploratory study was conducted in a cohort of patients who were admitted and operated on in the general surgery wards of a rural hospital in India from October 2010 to June 2011. At the time of discharge, all patients were requested to follow-up in the surgical outpatient clinic at 30 days after surgery. If this was not done, a mobile phone-based surveillance was done to complete the follow-up.

Results: The mean age of the 536 operated-on patients was 40 years (95% confidence interval [CI], 38-41 years). The mean duration of hospital stay was 10.7 days (95% CI, 9.9-11.6 days). Most (81%) operated-on patients were from rural areas, and 397 (75%) were male. Among the operated-on patients the ownership of mobile phones was 75% (95% CI, 73-78%). The remaining 25% of patients (n=133) used a shared mobile phone. For 380 patients (74.5%) the follow-up was completed by mobile phones. The SSI rate at follow-up was 6.3% (n=34). In 10 patients, an SSI was detected over the mobile phone.

Conclusions: Mobile communication technology is feasible to be used in rural settings to complete case follow-up for SSIs.

Keywords: India; mobile phones; rural; surgical site infections; surveillance.

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Figures

<b>Fig. 1.</b>
Fig. 1.
Healed surgical wound from right-sided hernioplasty of a 45-year-old male patient, taken at 30 days of follow-up postsurgery.
<b>Fig. 2.</b>
Fig. 2.
Superficial surgical site infection of an incised wound of a 22-year-old male patient, taken at 30 days of follow-up postsurgery.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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