The physical hospital environment and physical activity: patients’ perspectives on barriers, facilitators and preferences after cardiothoracic surgery

Hospital environments often promote sedentary behaviour, despite physical activity being essential for recovery. This study explored patients' perspectives on how the physical hospital environment supports physical activity after cardiothoracic surgery. A cross-sectional survey study was conducted among patients, who underwent elective cardiothoracic surgery, using a self-developed questionnaire. Descriptive statistics ranked barriers, facilitators and potential supportive features, while Spearman correlations explored associations of barriers/facilitators with participant characteristics and hospital factors. Of 221 eligible patients, 106 (48%) responded, with 70% being male, a median age of 65 years and a median hospital stay of seven days. Main barriers included medical devices, while main facilitators included convenient layout, comfortable furniture and information about physical activity. Greater support from healthcare professionals was associated with fewer barriers and more facilitators. The results showed that the physical hospital environment should promote physical activity, with a key role for healthcare professionals to help patients leverage these opportunities.