Educational needs of liver transplant patients before discharge

Abstract

Background: Liver transplantation (LT) is being implemented as a last resort in patients with end stage of liver diseases. Recent improvement of surgical technic and the development of immunosuppressants, survival rate and success rate. also increasing. In order to maintain liver function, liver transplant patients aim to learn various things such as taking immunosuppressants, diet, and infection control through pre-discharge education and return to home or society, so discharge education after surgery is very important. Methods:The subjects of the study are patients who got pre-discharge education from one hospital after LT within 2 years in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The discharge program currently in progress provides paper documents and verbal explanation. The contents of education are divided into infection control, medication, emergency response methods, diet, postoperative complication symptoms, and treatment of causative diseases. Overall satisfaction and educational needs for detailed contents were investigated through a 14-question questionnaire. Results:The subject of this study was 81.8% male, 18.2% female, and the age was 54.82 years old. There were 18.2% of NASH, 27.3% of alcoholic liver disease, 27.3% of hepatitis B, and 27.3% hepatocellular carcinoma. The dissatisfaction rate with the educational media was 27.3%, and the dissatisfaction with the number of education session was 36.4%. The dissatisfaction with the content was 36.4% infection control, 18.2% medication, 36.4% emergency response methods, 18.2% diet, and 18.2% education for treatment of causative diseases after LT. Through this, it can be seen that there is a need to improve the content of education, the method, frequency, and timing of education. Conclusions: Through this, it can be seen that it is necessary to improve the content of education. Therefore, this study can be used as basic data for the improvement of the discharge education program for liver transplant patients currently being implemented by investigating the educational needs of discharged time transplant patients.