Impact of Comprehensive Discharge Program on Patients' Outcomes after Open Heart Surgery

Background: The discharge program for cardiac surgery patients is a key element in the care ofpatients. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of comprehensive discharge program onpatients' outcomes after open heart surgery. Design: Quasi-experimental research design. Setting:This study was conducted in Cardiovascular Surgery Unit and Outpatient Clinic at Benha UniversityHospital & Nasser Institute. Study subjects: 150 patients were scheduled for open heart surgery.Data collection tools: It was involved three tools. I: Patients’ assessment questionnaire to assesspatients’ socio-demographic characteristics, medical history, patient knowledge regarding open heartsurgery and nursing discharge instructions. II: Patient' outcomes assessment to assess patients’outcomes and consists two parts (patient’ outcomes record & activity of daily living). III: Theperceived stress scale to evaluate how different situations affect patients’ feelings and the thoughts.Results: 13.3% of studied patients had satisfactory total knowledge regarding open heart surgery preprogram implementation whenever, improved to 88 % post program implementation and slightlydecreased to 85.3% Follow-up program implementation, concerning total stress level for patients,52.0% of studied patients had a high total stress level pre-program implementation whenever, 55.3 % and52% of them had a moderate and low total stress level post program and follow-up programimplementation respectively, concerning total out-comes for the patients, 14 % of studied patientshad satisfactory total out-comes pre-program implementation whenever, improved to 84.0 % postprogram implementation and slightly decreased to 83.3 % follow up program implementation.Conclusion: Implementation of the educational program has highly significant positive effect on totalknowledge, total stress scale and clinical outcomes for the patients undergoing open heart surgery,which support the study hypothesis. Recommendations: The effective education and information arerequired to enhance understanding of pre & post-operative care and equip the open-heart care unitand at outpatient clinic with simple illustrated guidelines protocol or program covering thecomprehensive discharge instructions for open heart surgery patient's.