Safer Organisations

HALO-R - Home And Locally Observed - Recovery: Developing and evaluating an intervention to improve peri-operative care following discharge from hospital after major surgery

After surgery, some patients develop complications that can lead to hospital readmission and slower recovery. Spotting these problems early could help keep patients safer and improve their recovery.

The HALO-Recovery study is testing whether a wrist-worn device, linked to a mobile app, can help monitor patients at home after surgery. The device collects health data, such as activity and vital signs, which may show early warning signs of deterioration. Patients will also complete short daily questionnaires about their recovery.

The study will run across several hospitals and types of surgery. Its main aim is to see whether it is practical to collect this information reliably for the first 30 days after discharge. The study will also test whether an existing artificial intelligence (AI) system can use this data to predict which patients may be at higher risk of complications.

A team of doctors, nurses, and patients will work together to refine how alerts are handled and to set best practice standards. Patients and the public will be involved throughout the project to share their views on remote monitoring and to help improve how the AI works.

Lead Investigator

Ramani Moonesinghe