TTP7.11 Facilitators to collecting health-related quality of life data in the emergency laparotomy setting

Aims Over 25,000 emergency laparotomies are performed annually in the UK. Emergency laparotomy remains one of the highest risk surgical procedures. Research is needed to improve the outcomes of this surgery. The emergency setting has historically been neglected by researchers due to challenges in recruitment and data collection. This is particularly evident in the reporting of patient-reported outcome measures such as health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Understanding patients’ HRQoL after emergency laparotomy is important to enable the evaluation of surgical care and to improve standards. The aim of this study was to better understand the barriers and facilitators to the assessment of HRQoL in the emergency setting. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five surgical research nurses at a large teaching hospital in England, who were involved in a clinical study evaluating the feasibility of HRQoL data collection before and after emergency laparotomy. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. Results Facilitators included low-complexity study protocols, brief HRQoL tools, telephone follow-ups, and having the same nurse collect pre- and post-op data to maintain continuity. Recruitment could be improved by aligning eligibility criteria with existing studies and using verbal consent. Obstacles were nurse apprehension in approaching acutely unwell patients, language barriers, and time constraints. Conclusions HRQoL assessment in emergency surgery is feasible with simple study designs and non-burdensome data collection tools. Inclusivity should be prioritised by translating materials, and patient experience can be enhanced by having the same person collect data both pre- and post-surgery.