
OPTIMIZE
The OPTIMIZE research and innovation project aims to develop and test two healthcare technologies that can help reduce medication use during surgery and assist in regulating patients’ fluid balance.

The OPTIMIZE research and innovation project will develop and test two technologies for healthcare that can help reduce medication consumption during surgery and help regulate patients’ fluid balance. During and after surgery, complications can arise due to side effects from medication or misjudged fluid balance. Complications related to the body’s handling of medication and fluid regulation can include fluctuations in blood pressure, breathing problems, urinary tract infections and delayed rehabilitation. If these complications can be avoided, hospitalization time can be shortened, the rehabilitation period can be shortened, and the patient can have a better treatment course and experience. In this Danish-Swedish research project, the goal is to develop and test two technologies for healthcare:

Virtual Reality experiences as a substitute for relaxing medication during awake surgeries
In so-called awake surgery, only part of the body is anesthetized and the patient is awake and can hear what is going on. Patients undergoing knee surgery or hand surgery will typically be awake during surgery. Lying awake during surgery and losing control of your own body can be an uncomfortable experience, which is why many patients will need relaxing medication. These medications can cause side effects such as breathing problems and low blood pressure. Especially for the many elderly patients, who often suffer from other illnesses, relaxation medication can be difficult to regulate and is therefore associated with more risks. This results in a longer stay in the recovery ward. This part of the project aims to test whether relaxing medication during awake surgery can be replaced by Virtual Reality experiences that can divert patients’ attention. During surgery, the patient wears glasses and headphones and experiences a virtual reality with images, sound or other stimuli, thus not experiencing the surgery itself, but experiencing a much more pleasant overall environment. The primary target group for this part of the project is senior citizens over the age of 65.

Automatic fluid measurement
Fluid balance is crucial to a patient’s condition and recovery. Disturbances in fluid balance can lead to prolonged hospitalization, complications or, in the worst case scenario, death. Overhydration increases mortality by 60-80% in patients with sepsis, stroke and heart disease. After surgery, overhydration causes complications and prolonged hospitalization. Fluid deficiency increases the risk of constipation, urinary tract infections and falls. Accurate monitoring of fluid balance is essential for patients to receive the correct care and treatment and to prevent complications. However, in many cases, fluid monitoring is inaccurate. Nurses manually observe the patient’s fluid intake and excretion and document it in the electronic medical record. But current practice is incomplete and inaccurate, as manual measurement is often based on judgment. The goal of this part of the project is to develop an automated fluid balance monitoring system that makes measurements more accurate and less time-consuming.




Projektpartnere
- Department of Anaesthesia, Zealand University Hospital
- Unit for Research in Anaesthesia Nursing, Zealand University Hospital
- Urology Department, Zealand University Hospital
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, Zealand University Hospital
- The Research Department, Zealand University Hospital
- Khora
- VO Akutsjukvård, Helsingborg Hospital
- Lund University
- Sahlgrenska University Hospital
The project is co-financed by the European Union.