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Future of Digital Prehabilitation

Trends in Digital Prehabilitation

Digital prehabilitation refers to the use of technology—such as mobile apps, wearables, AI-driven platforms, and telemedicine—to prepare patients for medical procedures like surgery or cancer treatment. This approach typically involves personalized exercise, nutrition, and psychological support delivered remotely to optimize outcomes, reduce complications, and enhance recovery. Based on recent developments through mid-2025, several key trends are emerging, driven by post-pandemic shifts toward remote care, resource constraints in healthcare systems, and advancements in digital health tools. These trends reflect growing adoption, particularly in perioperative and oncology settings.

1. Proliferation of Mobile Apps and mHealth Platforms for Personalized Programs

A major trend is the rapid development and deployment of smartphone apps that deliver tailored prehabilitation interventions. These platforms often integrate exercise tracking, nutritional guidance, and mental health tools, adapting to individual patient needs and surgery timelines. For instance, apps like Prep4Surg and the newly piloted PROTEGO MAXIMA app enable at-home programs with structured support, while ExerciseRx connects to electronic health records for seamless provider oversight. In the UK, startups such as QuestPrehab and Surgery Hero are expanding through NHS partnerships, offering app-based programs for liver transplant patients and musculoskeletal prep, with one-year trials showing high patient engagement. This trend is fueled by feasibility studies, like a 2025 app-based multimodal program for surgical patients, which reported strong acceptability despite mixed recovery impacts.

Sources:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12009399/
https://x.com/digitalhealth2/status/1815662726791750126?referrer=grok-com
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12441255/

2. Integration of Wearables and Digital Biomarkers for Real-Time Monitoring

Wearables (e.g., smartwatches and biosensors) are increasingly used to capture digital biomarkers like activity levels, heart rate, and sleep patterns during prehabilitation phases. This allows for proactive adjustments to programs, supporting at-home monitoring and early detection of issues. A 2025 review highlights their role in perioperative care, with devices tracking walking distance and functional status to boost pre-op resilience. Broader 2025 healthcare trends emphasize wearables’ evolution for preventive applications, such as glucose monitoring and anomaly detection via AI, which align with prehab’s focus on building patient resilience. Adoption is rising, with surveys showing 82% of urology patients willing to use trackers for recovery support.

Sources:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12009399/
https://www.zoho.com/healthcare/digest/healthcare-technology-trends.html
https://www.urotoday.com/conference-highlights/eau-2025/eau-2025-prostate-cancer/159226-eau-2025-prehabilitation-the-impact-of-exercise-personalized-programs-and-digital-devices.html

3. AI-Driven Personalization and Virtual Care Expansion

Artificial intelligence is transforming prehabilitation by enabling generative AI for custom treatment plans and predictive analytics. Trends include low-intensity interval training apps that adapt to “good and bad days,” as discussed at the 2025 EAU conference, where AI enhances delivery for diverse patient groups. Virtual care, bolstered by 5G and remote patient monitoring (RPM), is becoming standard, with telemedicine platforms delivering exercise classes and counseling—critical for accessibility in rural or underserved areas. In physical therapy, AI and telehealth are forecasted to dominate 2025, extending to prehab for scalable, impairment-specific training.

Sources:
https://kinvent.com/5-key-trends-for-the-physical-therapy-industry-in-2025/

4. Focus on Cancer and High-Risk Surgery Applications

Digital prehabilitation is gaining traction in oncology, with programs targeting head/neck, oesophago-gastric, and bladder cancers. A 2024 systematic review found technology-based interventions feasible but effectiveness varies by design, while 2025 studies show high citation for digital services in oesophago-gastric prep. Recruitment for head/neck cancer trials and webinars underscore ongoing research into digital tools for improved hospital care. For surgeries, personalized digital pathways are reducing readmissions, as seen in liver transplant trials.

SOurces

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2024.1321493/full
https://x.com/CurrentOncology/status/1908134716227588555?referrer=grok-com
https://x.com/health1tech/status/1815649222789648883?referrer=grok-com

5. Addressing Resource Shortages Through Scalable Digital Solutions

With healthcare systems strained, digital prehabilitation is positioned as a cost-effective alternative to in-person programs, easing burdens on staff and facilities. A 2023 Lancet commentary (still influential in 2025 discussions) notes its potential for patient safety and quality amid shortages, a theme echoed in NHS expansions. Conferences like EBPOM 2025 feature presentations on personalized digital platforms yielding “remarkable results” in trials, signaling broader integration.

These trends indicate accelerating momentum, with 2025 marking a pivot toward hybrid (digital + clinical) models. Challenges remain, including equitable access and long-term efficacy, but evidence points to sustained growth, especially in public systems like the NHS.

Sources

For transparency, here are the key sources referenced (with inline citations tied to their IDs):