A Wollongong Hospital nurse has developed an informative and easy to use smartphone app aimed at reducing patient-related day-of-surgery cancellations that he hopes can be simply and cheaply adopted by every surgical hospital in the country.

Called My Surgery Journey, the app is accompanied by a 24-page printed magazine that includes all of the information patients need when preparing for elective surgery, including directions to the hospital, advice on fasting and medications such as aspirin that can effect surgical procedures, and what patients should do if they are feeling unwell before surgery.

Developed at a bargain price of $22,000, the result of a Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) Illumination Innovation grant, clinical nurse consultant James Brinton hopes that other hospitals will now adopt the app and add their local details or extra functionality to it, improving the app by collaboration over time.