Major elective cancer surgery in the abdomen is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality risk despite optimised anaesthesia and surgical techniques. This is due to late
detection of severe complications and late treatment when the condition has progressed to the point of no return. All Danish hospitals currently use an Early Warning Score (EWS) system, where a number of physiological parameters are recorded once every 12 hours. However, no proven survival benefit of this approach has been shown.
The goal of this project is to develop and evaluate a continuous (24/7) system for detecting patterns prior to serious post-surgical events. This would be superior to the current EWS, and preventive interventions can be initiated before the patient suffers life-threatening injury. The goal is to design a system for wireless home monitoring to ensure 24/7 monitoring and analysis of data from patients in the first critical weeks after discharge from hospital, also to reduce the risks associated with cancer surgery.
The project aims to considerably reduce the risks associated with abdominal cancer surgery and emergency medical conditions, such as exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and consequently injury and healthcare expenses.