Design, implementation and validation of a web platform aimed at comparatively evaluating different methods of analgesia for patients undergoing thoracic surgery

Purpose: This study presents the implementation of a web and mobile application within a clinical trial at Giannina Gaslini Children’s Hospital, aimed at simplifying questionnaire completion for Pectus Excavatum condition, including medical history, preoperative, postoperative, and follow-up evaluations. The ultimate aim focuses on enhancing data collection efficiency, reducing errors, and improving patient engagement within a digital healthcare framework. Methods The approach involved careful design based on clinician input, resulting in an intuitive application structure with three main screens. XTENS managed data, and Ionic facilitated cross-platform app development, ensuring secure and adaptable data handling. Results Preliminary analysis showcased successful patient enrollment, balanced representation across treatment groups and genders. Notably, cryoanalgesia demonstrated significantly reduced hospitalization days compared to standard therapy, validating treatment efficacy. Conclusion This work signifies a step towards modernizing healthcare through digital transformation and patient-centered models. The application shows promise in streamlined data collection and patient engagement, although improvements in multilingual support, data validation, and incentivizing questionnaire completion are warranted. Overall, this study highlights the potential of digital health solutions in revolutionizing healthcare practices, fostering patient involvement, and improving care quality.