Patient Satisfaction is Equivalent for Inpatient and Outpatient Minimally-Invasive Adrenalectomy

Area of Science:

• Minimally invasive surgery
• Patient outcomes
• Health services research

Background:

• Same-day surgery for adrenalectomy can reduce costs and improve hospital capacity.
• Patient perspectives on outpatient adrenalectomy are not well-documented.
• This study evaluates patient satisfaction comparing inpatient and outpatient adrenalectomy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare patient satisfaction between inpatient and outpatient adrenalectomy.
• To identify factors influencing patient satisfaction in adrenalectomy procedures.
• To assess the impact of pre-operative counseling on patient experience.

Main Methods:

• A survey of 58 patients who underwent minimally invasive adrenalectomy (2017-2020) using OAS CAHPS-modeled questions.
• Comparison of patient satisfaction scores between inpatient and outpatient adrenalectomy groups.
• Statistical analysis using Kruskal Wallis, Wilcoxon-Mann Whitney, and Chi-square tests.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference in overall patient satisfaction between inpatient and outpatient adrenalectomy (P=0.367).
• Outpatient adrenalectomy patients were more likely to have pre-operative discharge plan discussions (P=0.005).
• Higher satisfaction scores were linked to pre-operative counseling on discharge, recovery, pain control, and complications.

Conclusions:

• Patient satisfaction with adrenalectomy is not significantly different between inpatient and outpatient settings.
• Pre-operative counseling is crucial for enhancing patient preparedness and satisfaction.
• Outpatient adrenalectomy is a viable option, with patients showing a trend towards preferring it for future procedures.