Coronary bypass surgery patients' experiences with treatment and perioperative care - a qualitative interview-based study

AIMS: The purpose of this study was to examine how coronary bypass surgery patients experienced their care. BACKGROUND: In many hospitals, including the study hospital, perioperative care is still organized in such a manner that theatre nurses have little contact with patients prior to and after surgery. Little is known about how patients experience this type of perioperative care. METHOD: Nine patients were interviewed approximately a year after their operations. The interviews were qualitative and were analysed by drawing on the phenomenological method. RESULTS: The patients were generally satisfied with the quality of the staff-patient interactions and the information that was given prior to surgery, but some patients expressed a need for a closer postoperative followup by staff directly involved in the surgery. Most patients believed that information and support given by fellow patients was even more important to them than the support and information that was given by staff. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that the quality of care and patients' satisfaction can be further enhanced by implementing principles from the perioperative dialogue model. For instance, by allowing for a postoperative meeting between the patient and a theatre nurse, continuity of care can be further enhanced.