Skills Required in the Care of Cancer Patients Who Undergo Surgery in the Hospital-Home Transition

It is essential to recognize what care is required by patients undergoing surgery in the transition from hospital to home to provide guidance for plans for release and follow-up and to achieve patient adherence to these plans. The objective of this study is to describe the skills required for the care of cancer patients who undergo surgery after hospital discharge. An exploratory-type descriptive approach was adopted, including 290 cancer patients who underwent surgery at a reference center in Bogotá, Colombia. Hospital discharge was followed by 4 weeks of telephone follow-up to investigate the skills required for care on the basis of the CUIDAR tool. The participants had a mean age of 59.3 years, with the majority being female and having low levels of education. The most prevalent type of cancer found was breast cancer, followed by colon and rectal, prostate, stomach, cervical, lung, and ovarian cancer. The first follow-up identified needs for care in most of the CUIDAR dimensions, predominantly instrumentation, knowledge, and anticipation. The fourth follow-up, which found reduced needs, focused on knowledge of diet and eating, physical activity, the management of sadness and anxiety, a permanent telephone hotline, and sharing with loved ones. Cancer patients who underwent surgery require skills for at-home care that need to be addressed in hospital discharge programs and with structured telephone follow-up. Telephone follow-up interventions need to be consolidated in hospital release or hospital discharge programs that address these care needs.