Preoperative patient education for open-heart patients: a source of anxiety?

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of preoperative patient education on anxiety and recovery of the Lebanese patients undergoing open-heart surgery.

Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted at a large hospital in Beirut, which is a university hospital. All patients who were admitted to the cardiac surgery unit and who met the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to as experimental or a control group. The patients in the experimental group (n = 57) received a special educational session on their admission day and had a tour of the cardiac surgery unit. The control group (n = 53) followed the routine hospital protocol, which encompassed almost no preoperative education or a tour. Anxiety was assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory while recovery was measured by physiological outcomes, days of hospital stay, and presence of complications. A Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) was performed with adjustment for potential confounding variables.

Results: Borderline statistical significance was noted for the experimental group in terms of preoperative and postoperative anxiety. The experimental group had a shorter time from awakening to extubation.

Conclusion: Unlike most studies published previously, which noted the benefits of preoperative patient education, this study with the Lebanese clients, failed to support earlier findings.

Practice implications: The results suggest that patient education should not be initiated before assessing the patient's cultural and social background.