Information Needs at the O.R. Waiting Room

Colussi, Giuliana; Frutos, Eliana; Rapisarda, Romina P.; Sommer, Janine; Descalzo, Juan; Plazzotta, Fernando; Luna, Daniel

doi:10.3233/shti210313

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…In our study, access to information through both visual and personal communication was an important factor that shaped the waiting experience for each participant. Similar to the findings of Colussi et al, 20 participants in our study also desired to understand the entire surgical process and flow.In our study, access to information through both visual and personal communication was an important factor that shaped the waiting experience for each participant.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 54%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Exploring the Lived Experience of Families Waiting for Surgical Patients: A Qualitative Study

Pustinger¹,

Burchill²,

Stetz³

et al. 2022

AORN Journal

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Family‐centered care is an important aspect of perioperative nursing, especially during the perioperative waiting period that separates patients from their families or significant others. However, there is a lack of understanding on what waiting means to family members or significant others. In this hermeneutic phenomenological study, we explored the lived experiences of family members waiting for surgical patients. We identified a shared experience during waiting that we called a “time to focus on self.” We identified five supporting themes that shaped this meaning of waiting: the environment, activities, communication, expectations, and feelings. The perioperative waiting experience may be a necessary time of self‐reflection and self‐care for family members when responsibilities for loved ones are temporarily on hold. Perioperative nurses can provide family‐centered interventions to address the physical and emotional needs of individuals who are waiting and improve their experience.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 54%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 54%

Exploring the Lived Experience of Families Waiting for Surgical Patients: A Qualitative Study

Pustinger¹,

Burchill²,

Stetz³

et al. 2022

AORN Journal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…More than 1 million surgical interventions were performed in Canada in 2020 [ 4 ]; these procedures implicate family members and caregivers as requisite accompaniers. Separated from their loved ones during the intraoperative period, caregivers experience distress, helplessness, fear, loneliness, frustration, and uncertainty, as well as physiological responses, such as increased heart rate, impaired sleep, and restlessness [ 5 - 7 ]. Although caregivers previously waited in the surgical waiting area, with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic and mandatory hygiene measures, most are now required to wait off-site with only remote access to surgical staff for updates [ 8 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Automated Intraoperative Short Messaging Service Updates: Quality Improvement Initiative to Relieve Caregivers’ Worries

Mignault¹,

Tchouaket²,

Robins³

et al. 2022

JMIR Perioper Med

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Background Undergoing a surgical procedure is anxiety provoking for patients and their caregivers. During the intraoperative period, caregivers seek out informational updates from health care professionals, a situation complicated by COVID-19 health measures that require caregivers to wait outside the hospital. Short messaging service (SMS)-based communication that allows caregivers to follow their loved ones through surgery has shown promise in relieving anxiety and improving satisfaction with overall care. This form of communication is also well accepted by health care professionals and may be effective at relieving staff burden. Objective Here, we describe a quality improvement initiative of a standardized and integrated intraoperative SMS-based system to improve communication between surgical teams and caregivers. The main goal was to improve satisfaction with care, while the secondary goal was to reduce caregiver anxiety. Methods The initiative followed the framework of the Model for Improvement. A large tertiary care hospital offered the SMS to caregivers who were waiting for loved ones undergoing surgery. SMS messages were integrated into the clinical information system software and sent at key points during the surgical journey to phone numbers provided by caregivers. A satisfaction survey was sent to caregivers 1 business day after surgery. Data were collected between February 16 and July 14, 2021. Results Of the 8129 surgeries scheduled, caregivers waiting for 6149 (75.6%) surgeries agreed to receive SMS messages. A total of 34,129 messages were sent. The satisfaction survey was completed by 2088 (34%) of the 6149 caregivers. Satisfaction with messages was high, with the majority of respondents reporting that the messages received were adequate (1476/2085, 70.8%), clear (1545/2077, 74.4%), informative (1488/2078, 71.6%), and met their needs (1234/2077, 59.4%). The overall satisfaction score was high (4.5 out of 5), and caregivers reported that receiving text messages resulted in a reduction in anxiety (score=8.2 out of 10). Technical errors were reported by 69 (3.3%) caregivers. Suggestions for improvements included having messages sent more often; providing greater patient details, including the patient’s health status; and the service being offered in other languages. Conclusions This digital health initiative provided SMS messages that were systematically sent to caregivers waiting for their loved ones undergoing surgery, just as COVID-19 restrictions began preventing waiting onsite. The messages were used across 15 surgical specialties and have since been implemented hospital-wide. Digital health care innovations have the capacity to improve family-centered communication; what patients and their families find useful and appreciate will ultimately determine their success.

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Automated Intraoperative Short Messaging Service Updates: Quality Improvement Initiative to Relieve Caregivers’ Worries (Preprint)

Mignault¹,

Robins²,

Maillet³

et al. 2022

Preprint

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BACKGROUND Undergoing a surgical procedure is anxiety provoking for patients and their caregivers. During the intra-operative period, caregivers seek out informational updates from healthcare professionals, a situation complicated by COVID-19 health measures that require caregivers to wait outside the hospital. SMS-based communication that allows caregivers to follow their loved ones through surgery has shown promise in relieving anxiety and improving satisfaction with overall care. This form of communication is also well accepted by healthcare professionals and may be effective at relieving staff burden. OBJECTIVE Here we describe a quality improvement initiative of a standardized and integrated intra-operative SMS-based system to improve communication between surgical teams and caregivers. The main goal was to reduce caregiver anxiety; secondary goals included improving satisfaction with care and not increasing staff burden. METHODS A large tertiary care hospital offered the SMS service to caregivers who were waiting for loved ones undergoing surgery. SMS messages were integrated into the clinical information system software and sent at key points during the surgical journey to phone numbers provided by caregivers. A satisfaction survey was sent to caregivers one business day after surgery. Data were collected between Feb 16th and July 14th 2021. RESULTS Of the 8,129 surgeries scheduled, caregivers waiting for 6,149 surgeries (76%) agreed to receive SMS messages. A total of 34,129 messages were sent. The satisfaction survey was completed by 2,088/6,149 or 34 % of caregivers. Satisfaction with messages was high, with the majority of respondents reporting the messages received were adequate (71%), clear (74%), informative (72%) and met their needs (60%). Receiving text messages reduced caregiver anxiety (score 8.5 out of 10) and the overall satisfaction score was high (4.5 out of 5). Technical errors were reported by 111 caregivers. Suggestions for improvements included having messages sent more often, providing greater patient detail and being offered in other languages. CONCLUSIONS This digital health initiative provided SMS messages that were standardized and systematically sent to caregivers waiting for their loved ones undergoing surgery. This in turn decreased caregiver anxiety, with no additional burden to staff. In creating digital healthcare innovations, what patients and their families find useful and appreciated will ultimately determine uptake. Thus, caregiver feedback will inform future iterations of this initiative.

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Information Needs at the O.R. Waiting Room

Cited by 3 publications

References 9 publications

Exploring the Lived Experience of Families Waiting for Surgical Patients: A Qualitative Study

Exploring the Lived Experience of Families Waiting for Surgical Patients: A Qualitative Study

Automated Intraoperative Short Messaging Service Updates: Quality Improvement Initiative to Relieve Caregivers’ Worries

Automated Intraoperative Short Messaging Service Updates: Quality Improvement Initiative to Relieve Caregivers’ Worries (Preprint)

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