Patient reactions to cancelled or postponed heart operations

Abstract

Objectives: 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.

Design: 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.