Medbelle and Physio First produce prehabilitation guides
Prehabilitation is just as important as rehabilitation when it comes to surgery - these free guides will help patients preparing for an operation
Medbelle and Physio First have teamed up to produce guides for patients about prehabilitation - the importance of preparing for surgery.
Whereas most people are aware of rehabilitation, the recovery programme of exercises and physiotherapy that follows surgery, the concept of prehabilitation before surgery is less well-known, but no less important.
Bringing together different clinicians
It is also a perfect example of the importance of multiple clinicians working together to guide a patient through their treatment journey. Physiotherapists have the expertise and knowledge to help patients with prehabilitation and rehabilitation, and by following their advice, patients can improve their chances of a smooth recovery from their surgery.
With these guides, Medbelle and Physio First are using their partnership to further help patients, and demonstrating the benefits of bringing together the different clinicians in healthcare - a key part of Medbelle’s mission.
The guides focus on different types of surgery, with an overall introduction to prehabilitation setting out the main aspects and benefits of preparing for surgery.
What is prehabilitation?
Prehabilitation is about understanding what operation you are going to have and preparing for this by being as fit as you can be. Some of this will be general fitness that applies to all surgery, some will be more specific to particular types of operation and based on your own body.
Some of the important aspects of prehabilitation include - maintaining a healthy but safe level of physical exercise, using targeted exercises tailor-made for you and your surgery, stopping smoking and drinking before surgery, and keeping an eye on nutrition and weight.
Pam Simpson is a Chartered Physiotherapist and has been a member of Physio First for 35 years, and has written some of the prehab guides for Medbelle. She said: ‘If you were taking part in a 10k race, you would expect to do some training beforehand to get the most out of the experience and minimize the risk of unexpected complications. Preparing for surgery is much the same - getting your body ready for it can help improve the outcomes afterwards.
‘These guides are a good starting point for patients preparing for surgery, but no two patients are the same and your physiotherapist can help tailor you a programme to meet your individual needs.’
Supporting patients throughout their care
Medbelle patients have the benefit of an individual Patient Care Adviser who helps to organise every aspect of their care, which includes putting them in touch with a physiotherapist, and liaising between the different clinicians who will be looking after different aspects of the patient’s treatment. By bringing together these different clinicians, patients have more support with things like prehabilitation and rehabilitation, which can help improve their outcomes. For physiotherapists, Medbelle can help them by ensuring their patients are able to return to them after surgery, providing continuity of care.
