title: Discharge information needs of patients after surgery.
abstract: Patients who have undergone surgical procedures often have self-care concerns in their preparation for discharge from the hospital. This article examines the research literature about information needs of postoperative patients prior to their discharge. The most common concerns were the incision/wound care, pain management, activity level, monitoring for complications, symptom management, elimination, and quality of life. Because of their clinical knowledge of the perioperative experience, wound, ostomy, and continence nurses and other advanced practice nurses have a critical role in the development of discharge-educational programs for postoperative patients and caregivers. Because unmet discharge needs can contribute to poor patient outcomes and readmission, it is critical that wound, ostomy, and continence nurses, advanced practice nurses, and clinical staff nurses accurately identify patients' informational needs and find ways to meet these needs especially with the aging population, new/advanced surgical procedures, vulnerability/poverty, and literacy level of patients.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA. bapieper@comcast.net
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pieper
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sieggreen
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Freeland
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kulwicki
authors.forename: Madelyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frattaroli
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sidor
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Palleschi
authors.forename: Jerry
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bednarski
authors.forename: Beth
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Garretson
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D003248:Constipation / Q000517:prevention & control; D004522:Educational Status; D005221:Fatigue / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009720:Nurse Clinicians; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000517:prevention & control; D010351:Patient Discharge; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology; D011203:Poverty; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D017592:Skin Care / Q000451:nursing; D013041:Specialties, Nursing; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D013663:Teaching / Q000458:organization & administration; D013664:Teaching Materials; D035862:Vulnerable Populations