"The NHS needs more systems like this".

By Zayna Lahham - Implementation & Customer Success Manager

On June 20-21st, JB and I had the opportunity to represent Post Op at the British Indian Orthopaedic Society Conference (BIOS) in Grantham, Lincolnshire.

The aim was to introduce Post Op to clinicians and demonstrate how using the platform can achieve the following:

With many of the delegates of Indian origin currently training and practicing in the UK, BIOS concentrated its focus on networking and culture with almost 200 attendees from across the UK. Over two days, clinicians had the opportunity to attend podium talks and poster presentations as well as being able to speak to various healthcare and medical companies during the intervals. 

Telling the Post Op story

As a former nurse. I like to approach tasks systematically. It's my main method of working, my comfort zone. So unsurprisingly, I adopted the same approach; having a ‘script’ so I could ensure I covered all main areas of Post Op. However, I soon realised that using a structured approach was never going to be beneficial when everyone came to our stand with different requirements.

Some already had a good understanding of Post Op, while it was a new and unfamiliar platform to others. For example one surgeon who specialises in shoulders and upper limb, was particularly interested in how we incorporate our physio exercises into the app and how this is tailored to the patient's individual needs. 

Like all elements within the app, Post Op ensures all features and advice is patient centred and evidence based, by using a combination of ERAS and clinical studies in association with Kettering General Hospital.

AI - friend or foe?

It’s fair to say the reaction to Post Op was overwhelmingly positive, with many surgeons taking particular interest in our approach to SSIs and its ability to identify in all skin tones.

AI was a much discussed subject, particularly when I talked about how Post Op is working on integrating AI into our app to assist clinicians in diagnosing SSI’s via wound photos and video monitoring. Whilst some fear AI will ‘take over our jobs,’ many welcome the concept with open arms, with one clinician stating, ‘Why do so many people fear AI when its purpose is to help us, not work against us?'

"End goal thinking..."

Unlike some of our competitors, many surgeons appreciated how Post Op incorporates a perioperative ecosystem by onboarding patients at their pre-op assessment and following their whole surgical journey. One surgeon from Lincoln said "the NHS needs more systems like this. Some clinicians are losing sight of the end goal thinking."

This stems from one of the issues our current healthcare system has; a lack of standardised practices to encourage clinicians to follow up patients after hospital discharge. By using Post Op, many clinicians recognise that the patient has an overall better understanding of their care, and therefore can make more informed decisions about their recovery.

And yes we talked about costs too! It's easy to become overly focused on financial metrics, and this was evident in some discussions where clinicians expressed concern about the cost of integrating Post Op into their hospitals. To address these concerns, I showed that studies have shown Post Op has the potential to save up to £1.2 million annually - an impact that not only supports healthcare budgets but also contributes to the NHS’s 2040 Net Zero Target. 

Yes, it was work...but the food!

The BIOS conference was my first (of hopefully many!) Post Op events, and it definitely set the bar high. I really enjoyed the social aspect - getting the chance to meet surgeons from various specialties was both inspiring and eye-opening.

An unexpected highlight? The incredible variety of Indian food! From Aloo Tikki Channa to the Signature Daal Makhani, every bite added flavour to an already vibrant weekend in Grantham.

...and Bollywood!

We wrapped up the night with a Bollywood DJ set, which saw us all attempt a few dance moves - while we may not have been the most graceful on the dance floor, it was the perfect way to end the weekend on a high. Already looking forward to the next one!