Patients' Perspectives on Postoperative Follow-Up Calls in Day Surgery: A Qualitative Study.
Mira Rajala, Maria Kääriäinen, Anitta Tanhua and 1 others
PMID 40589287WHAT IT FOUND
Day surgery patients wanted a nurse to call about a week after surgery, after pain and symptoms settle.
They said the call would reduce worry, maintain contact with the unit, and cover wound healing, pain, activity, and coping at home.
Key findings
01Patients wanted postoperative follow-up calls to be announced in advance and timed about a week after surgery, when pain and symptoms had stabilised.
02Patients expected the calls to provide a sense of care, a sense of security, less uncertainty, more confidence, continuity of care, specialist discussion, and effective problem-solving.
03Patients expected the content to cover wound care, pain management, activity methods, coping at home, and general condition.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Patients were interviewed on the morning of surgery and had not yet experienced a postoperative follow-up call, so the findings describe expectations rather than reactions to actual calls. Transcripts were not returned to patients for comments. The study was conducted in one day surgery unit, and practices vary across countries and units. Interviews were short, with an average duration of about 15 minutes. One researcher initially coded and analysed the data, although two other researchers and a representative from the organisation reviewed the analysis.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that postoperative telephone calls improve recovery or reduce healthcare use. The study reports patients' expectations before surgery and does not test a call programme.