Patient information at discharge--a study of a combined approach.
OBJECTIVE
To describe patients' perceptions of a new information procedure related to going home after urological surgery. This procedure, developed in an action research project, included a discharge talk with the nurse and an information booklet for the patients to keep.


METHODS
A convenience sample of 99 patients responded to a survey sent home 1 week after discharge (return 78.6%). The Patient Information and Nurse Interaction Scale (PINI) was used for data collection.


RESULTS
The sample were mostly male (81%), older (mean 71.9 years), and hospitalised on average less than 4 days. Patients who got the booklet had significantly more favourable perceptions on information received (p<0.05) on 11 of 21 items, and 91% said they would not have managed very well at home without it.


CONCLUSIONS
The patients who received the booklet knew more about what might happen to them, were less uncertain and had fewer concerns when going home.


CONCLUSIONS
The combination of standardised written information and a talk with the nurse where patients participated in individualising the information appears to have had a significant impact on self-management at home.
Fagermoen
May Solveig
MS
Institute of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1153 Blindern, 0318 Oslo, and Centre for Shared Decision Making and Nursing Research, Rikshospitalet-Radiumhospitalet HF, Norway. m.s.fagermoen@medisin.uio.no
Hamilton
Glenys
G
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009664:Norway; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D010174:Pamphlets; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000592:standards*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013664:Teaching Materials / Q000592:standards; D020728:Transurethral Resection of Prostate / Q000193:education / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology; D013520:Urologic Surgical Procedures / Q000193:education / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology