Patient reactions to cancelled or postponed heart operations.
OBJECTIVE
The aim was to survey the rate and cause of cancellations of planned cardiac operations at a Swedish clinic during 1999, and to study how the patients were affected.


METHODS
Questionnaires were distributed to 74 patients who had their operations cancelled. Their mood after discharge was measured with The Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale. Ninety-three patients, who were operated on without postponement, served as controls.


RESULTS
Sixty-one percent of the patients in the cancellation group reacted negatively, especially if the reason for cancellation was organizational (P = 0.03). The women in the cancellation group had a significantly higher degree of depression than men (P = 0.01) and both women (P = 0.02) and men (P = 0.003) in the control group. Most of the patients, however, were satisfied with the nursing staff's reception and information.


CONCLUSIONS
The patients reacted negatively to the cancellation, especially if it had organizational reasons. Women subjected to cancellation had a significantly higher degree of depression than other patients. To be avoided, organizational and medical problems must be identified in time. One way to do this is to introduce a preadmission nurse clinic.
Ivarsson
Bodil
B
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Hospital of Lund, Sweden.
Kimblad
Per Ola
PO
Sjöberg
Trygve
T
Larsson
Sylvia
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009341:Negativism; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000592:standards; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000592:standards; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D014850:Waiting Lists