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Complications after discharge for surgical patients
Ashley Kable1, Robert Gibberd, Allan Spigelman
1The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
ANZ Journal of Surgery
|March 5, 2004
Summary
Surgical patients frequently experience complications after discharge, with many requiring unplanned healthcare. Patient surveys effectively monitor these outcomes, highlighting needs in pain management and complication treatment.
Area of Science:
- Surgical outcomes research
- Patient safety
- Health services research
Background:
- Post-discharge complications significantly impact surgical patient recovery and healthcare utilization.
- Effective monitoring of surgical outcomes after patient discharge is crucial for quality improvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the incidence and types of complications experienced by surgical patients within one month of hospital discharge.
- To assess the need for post-discharge healthcare services and interventions.
Main Methods:
- A post-discharge patient survey was administered one month after elective surgery to 214 patients (74% response rate) from two Australian teaching hospitals.
- The survey targeted patients who underwent procedures including transurethral resection of the prostate, hysterectomy, major joint replacement, cholecystectomy, and herniorrhaphy.
Main Results:
- 63% of patients reported at least one complication, with pain (86%) and infections (17%) being most common.
- 37% of patients received treatment for 109 reported complications; 5% were readmitted for surgery-related issues.
- 28% of the 266 healthcare service occasions in the first month post-discharge were unplanned.
Conclusions:
- Patient self-reporting is a valuable tool for monitoring post-discharge surgical outcomes.
- There is a clear need to enhance post-discharge services for pain management, prophylactic measures, and complication treatment to improve surgical care quality.