Patient experiences with interventions to reduce surgery cancellations: a qualitative study.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Experience Research
• Surgical Pathway Optimization

Background:

• Planned surgery cancellations negatively impact patients, healthcare resources, and waiting times.
• Previous research focused on medical and management aspects of reducing cancellations, such as cost and efficiency.
• A hospital implemented a redesigned elective surgery pathway to address high cancellation rates, prompting a study on patient experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate patient experiences with interventions aimed at reducing elective surgery cancellations.
• To understand how a redesigned surgical pathway affects patient satisfaction and care perception.

Main Methods:

• A comparative qualitative case study design was employed.
• Interviews were conducted with 8 patients from the redesigned pathway and 8 from the original pathway.
• Content analysis using a theory-based coding scheme identified themes in patient experiences.

Main Results:

• Patients reported positive experiences related to involvement in scheduling surgery.
• Individualized preparation prior to hospital admission was a key positive theme.
• Establishing relationships with a limited number of clinicians during the hospital stay was highly valued.

Conclusions:

• Interventions reducing cancellations were appreciated for increasing patient autonomy.
• Telephone reminders fostered personalized dialogue, and centralized preparation/discharge improved care continuity.
• The redesigned pathway enhanced patient-centeredness alongside improved surgical logistics.