The Effect of Discharge Planning on Parents' Anxiety and Coping Difficulties in Hypospadias Repair Surgery

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of discharge planning for children undergoing hypospadias repair surgery on parents' anxiety and post discharge coping difficulties.

The study was a quasi-experimental design.

The study sample consisted of a total of 70 mother-child dyads who underwent hypospadias repair surgery, 35 in the intervention group and 35 in the control group. The intervention group received the designed discharge plan instructions, while the control group received the routine care of the pediatric surgery department. The discharge plan, which started on the first day of hospitalization, included two sessions of face-to-face parent education, a predischarge interview, a telephone interview on the third day and third week after discharge, and an education booklet. Data collection tools were State Anxiety Inventory, Post Discharge Interview Form, and Post Discharge Coping Difficulties Scale.

On the day of discharge, the mean state anxiety scores of the intervention group mothers were significantly lower than the control group (P = .020). Post Discharge Coping Difficulties Scale score was 37.74 ± 3.34 for the intervention group parents and 57.17 ± 3.17 for the control group parents and the result was statistically significant. There was a positive significant correlation between parents' state anxiety level and post discharge coping difficulties (P = .03).

In hypospadias surgery where care is transferred to parents after short-term hospitalization, discharge planning is effective in reducing parents' anxiety level and difficulties in caring for their child at home.