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The Ottawa Hospital helps patients prepare for surgery with a new web section and virtual tour

October 4, 2012 This week, The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) launched a new section on its website, dedicated to helping patients prepare for surgery.

Being told that you need surgery can be a stressful experience. The fear of the unknown can often be overwhelming. It is with this in mind, that the ‘my Surgery’ section of the website was created.

The overall goal of this web section was to ease patients’ concerns by preparing them for what to expect, improving communication and access to information, and providing them with a virtual tour of TOH as it relates to surgery. This innovative video tour called ‘Meet the Team’ starts in Admitting and makes its way through the hospital journey to being discharged (even including a tour of the inside of the Operating Room), all while introducing the health-care team members a patient might meet along the way.

The ‘my Surgery’ section of the website provides a way for patients to access their own ‘Pre-op Health History Patient Questionnaire tool’ from home so they can be better prepared for their initial visit with their surgeon. Also included in the section is educational material for patients, such as pre-operative protocols, pain management options, smoking cessation guides and early discharge planning tips.

“This project was the result of an inter-professional team of doctors (surgeons and anesthesiologists), nurses and support services (clinical and non-clinical) coming together to create one high-quality, central resource for patients and families,” said Dr. Sylvain Gagné, anesthesiologist and Corporate Medical Director for the Pre-Admission Unit at The Ottawa Hospital. “With patients as far away as Nunavut, we felt it was important to find ways to get them the information they need, as close to home as possible.”

Visits to TOH’s website have steadily increased over the past year and now, more than 45,000 people visit the site each month. With TOH performing more than 34,000 surgeries each year, ‘my Surgery’ has the potential to reach and help a large number of patients and visitors. This new service will allow patients to prepare for surgery with their family members in the comfort of their own home, giving them the time they need to digest the information and fully understand it.

Media Contact:
Hazel Harding
Communications Advisor
Email: hharding@toh.on.ca
Tel.: 613-737-8460