Smart technologies and digital innovations for improving perioperative patient safety: a review

Abstract

Smart digital technologies are rapidly transforming perioperative care through tools such as clinical decision support systems, wearable sensors, and electronic checklists. Despite growing adoption, their specific impact on patient safety in the operating room remains insufficiently understood. This narrative review explores recent advancements in perioperative digital health and examines how innovations like AI-assisted systems, electronic WHO checklists, and physiological monitoring wearables contribute to safer surgical care. The evidence suggests that these tools can enhance complication detection, protocol adherence, and team communication. However, their effectiveness is tempered by challenges including alert fatigue, fragmented data systems, and added digital workload for healthcare staff. To realize their full potential, future implementations must prioritize usability, interoperability, and seamless workflow integration. Rigorous clinical trials and cost-effectiveness studies are also needed to establish the true value of smart technologies in improving surgical patient outcomes.