ePOMS – UHS Electronic Post Operative Morbidity Score Validation

Lay Description

This prospective [future facing] cohort study will validate electronic markers of postoperative morbidity (POMS) against manually collected standards. Manual POMS will be recorded on days 3, 5 and 7, with CDC and CCI collected at discharge. Electronic equivalents (ePOMS, eCDC, eCCI) will be generated from routinely collected Electronic Health Records (EHR) data, including vital signs, blood tests, medications, procedures, and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) records.

Agreement between manual and electronic measures will be assessed using Bland-Altman analysis and Wilcoxon signed rank tests.

Predictive validity for length of stay and complex discharge will be tested using area under receiver operator curve. Key variables span pulmonary, renal, cardiovascular, infection, pain, gastrointestinal, neurological, and wound domains.

Public Benefit Statement

The project will generate validated, scalable measures of postoperative complications that can be applied across surgical populations. This will improve understanding of the health and care needs of patients after major surgery, including factors that drive prolonged hospital stay and complex discharge.

Reliable electronic outcome data will support service planning by identifying patterns of morbidity and resource use, enabling hospitals to anticipate demand for critical care, rehabilitation, and community support. At a system level, the findings will guide commissioners and policymakers on how best to allocate funding to perioperative pathways, ensuring investment is directed toward interventions that improve outcomes and efficiency.