General surgical patients’ experience of hospital discharge education: A qualitative study

Abstract

Aims and objectives To explore adult general surgical patients’ perceptions of, and satisfaction with, discharge education provided by healthcare providers. Background Discharge education is essential for general surgical patients as it equips them with the required knowledge and skills to engage in their care after discharge. Insufficient knowledge to self‐manage or assess their symptoms can result in postdischarge complications, unplanned hospital readmission and overall dissatisfaction with the hospital experience. Design A constructivist‐interpretivist paradigm using qualitative interviews. Methods Telephone interviews were conducted with 13 patients between August 2018 and November 2018 and analysed using inductive content analysis. COREQ guidelines were adopted for the conduct and reporting of the study. Results Four themes were uncovered: (a) The quality of discharge information influences patients’ postdischarge experience; (b) The negative impact of contextual influences on delivery of discharge education; (c) Patients actively participating in their surgical journey; (d) Patients’ preferences with the delivery of discharge education. Conclusion Inadequate discharge education leads to patients’ inability to self‐manage their recovery process. Information sharing with patients fosters shared understanding towards goals and expectations. Relevance to clinical practice Understanding patients’ view may inform the design of patient‐centred discharge education interventions for patients to self‐manage their recovery postdischarge.

Health interventions for the reduction of hospital readmission within 30 days in clinical patients: An integrative review

“…However, a study with surgical patients in Australia identified that many of them expressed dissatisfaction and insufficient understanding of the discharge guidelines, resulting in anxiety and stress due to insecurity in dealing with their recovery. There were reports of unclear instructions, given too hastily and not in a timely manner, not adapted to the individual needs, and with inappropriate post-discharge care recommendations (Kang et al, 2020). Therefore, the literature acknowledges that the activities aimed at the patients' education and promotion of self-management are fundamental for care transition, provided that the education plans are individualized, respecting the way how patients think and live in their sociocultural context and promoting their autonomy in shared decisionmaking processes (Lima et al, 2018).…”

Exploring orthopaedic patients’ experiences of hospital discharge: Implications for nursing care

“…For surgical patients, discharge information on wound care contributes to successful post-operative recovery. It is particularly important, since any uncertainty regarding recognition of normal wound healing versus wound complications can be stressful for the patient, and may result in hospital readmission due to unrecognised wound complications ( Horstman et al, 2017 ;Kang et al, 2019 ;Merkow et al, 2015 ). This study found some patients felt uncertainty regarding wound healing and this reinforces the need for orthopaedic surgical patients to have adequate discharge information specific to potential wound issues.…”

Evaluating the feasibility of a web-based discharge education programme to improve general surgical patients’ postdischarge recovery: a pilot randomised controlled trial

“…45 As previously described in our qualitative study, surgical patients want to have an active role in their postdischarge recovery, but this is challenging because of the limited knowledge and skills they possessed. 7 The adaptation to the current standard discharge education can increase patients' understanding, attitudes and expectations for their postdischarge recovery to effectively self-manage their health. For clinicians, the web-based education programme creates an opportunity for patient participation as the intervention is designed to give patients the confidence to communicate any concerns and seek information from their healthcare providers regarding their health and treatment plan.…”

“…Without this knowledge, patients may miss the signs and symptoms of potential postoperative complications. 7 8 The implementation of accelerated postoperative pathways to improve efficiency and enhance patient flow has culminated in shorter inpatient stays, challenging healthcare providers to develop and provide patient-centred discharge education. 9 Consequently, surgical patients can be discharged home with incomplete understanding of postoperative recovery, including information on self-care and management of their postdischarge recovery.…”