Patient-centric digital pathway seeks to transform short-stay surgery

A new digital patient pathway designed to transform the short-stay surgery experience is being delivered at a New Zealand private surgical hospital, Forté Health. In partnership with Personify Care, the pathway is designed to improve surgical readiness, reduce cancellations and deliver a more personalised care experience for patients undergoing short-stay surgery.

Forté Health patient experience.

The consumer-centred innovation is intended to address longstanding challenges caused by manual, paper-based processes and inconsistent communication, which can leave patients feeling unprepared and anxious before their procedures. “Too often, hospitals communicate around the patient, not with them,” said Matt Devonald, Patient Services Manager at Forté Health. Devonald said the hospital is changing this by delivering accessible information at the right time — directly to patients, “whether that’s to their mobile device at home, or in the clinic supported by their health practitioner”.

Procedure-specific instructions, pre-admission requirements, and day-of-surgery details — via SMS and secure mobile web links — will be delivered by the digital pathway, which is designed to integrate seamlessly with existing workflows. It has also been co-designed with input from both consumers and clinical and administrative teams — with the intention to support staff while improving the experience for patients.

Four specialist rooms — including Urology and Gynaecology — formed the first phase of the rollout, beginning in July. This first phase was designed to enable iterative learning, staff feedback and refinements before expanding across all medical specialist rooms by the end of the year. With the pathway, the hospital aims to significantly enhance patient confidence, engagement and satisfaction, empowering patients with on-demand access to tailored, easy-to-understand guidance.

Forté Health.

“This isn’t about digitising for the sake of it,” Devonald said. “It’s about making sure every patient has the right information, at the right time — so they feel supported and prepared, not overwhelmed.” Devonald added: “We aim for technology to be an enabler, breaking down barriers and promoting health literacy, ultimately putting the patient in control of their healthcare journey.”

Key success metrics of the pathway include: improved patient preparedness and satisfaction, fewer day-of-surgery cancellations, enhanced ability to identify clinical risks early, and improved environmental footprint — by reducing printed materials and postage. Cultural sensitivity has also been embedded by the hospital into the pathway’s design, including ensuring language, tone and delivery channels are appropriate for the hospital’s diverse patient population.

The hospital also expects to reduce manual workload and lower operational costs through a shift away from paper-heavy administration, and believes the approach taken is a repeatable model for other private surgical providers — serving to demonstrate how thoughtful digital transformation can uplift both clinical outcomes and patient experience.

Top image credit: iStock.com/SDI Productions