Self-reported at-home postoperative recovery

Area of Science:

• Ambulatory Surgery
• Patient Recovery Measurement
• Health Outcomes Research

Background:

• 75% of elective surgeries are outpatient procedures.
• No validated measures existed for at-home postoperative recovery.
• Need for a tool to assess patient recovery post-discharge.

Purpose of the Study:

• Develop and validate the Post-Discharge Surgical Recovery (PSR) scale.
• Measure perceived recovery in patients discharged within 24 hours.
• Provide a tool for assessing ambulatory surgery patient recovery.

Main Methods:

• Developed a 15-item, 10-point semantic differential scale based on ethnographic analysis.
• Assessed internal consistency (alpha=.88-.91) and concurrent validity (r=.76) with Wolfer-Davis Recovery Inventory.
• Examined construct validity through correlation with self-reported recovery (r=.72) and in-home assessments (r=.77, r=.71).

Main Results:

• The PSR scale demonstrated strong internal consistency.
• Concurrent validity was high, correlating significantly with a previous recovery measure.
• Construct validity was supported by strong correlations with patient self-assessment and clinical in-home evaluations.

Conclusions:

• The Post-Discharge Surgical Recovery (PSR) scale is a reliable and valid instrument.
• It can measure perceived at-home postoperative recovery in ambulatory surgery patients.
• Enables tracking of symptom patterns and recovery changes over time.