Lower health literacy levels among patients who underwent major abdominal surgery stay much longer at the hospital, reveals a new study.
Health literacy is defined as an individual's ability to obtain, process, and understand health information to make informed decisions and function effectively in the health care environment. There is a lack of data on the role of health literacy on postoperative outcomes.
New 'Care Bundle' Reduces Death Rate In Emergency Abdominal Surgery Patients
Four hospitals in UK have achieved a huge reduction in the number of patients dying following emergency abdominal surgery, after adopting a 'care bundle' devised by patient safety specialists.
Advertisement
‘Surgical patients with low health literacy levels need to manage their general anxiety regarding self-care once out of the hospital.’
Tweet it Now
Kamran Idrees, M.D., M.S.C.I., of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville., Tenn., and colleagues examined the association of health literacy with postoperative outcomes in 1,239 patients who underwent elective gastric, colorectal, liver or pancreatic surgery for both benign and malignant disease.
Health literacy levels were assessed using the Brief Health Literacy Screen, a validated tool that was administered by nursing staff on hospital admission.
The median educational attainment of the patients was 13 years.
The researchers found that lower health literacy levels were associated with an increased hospital length of stay following surgery, such that patients with low health literacy levels spent an additional median of one day in the hospital compared with those with a high health literacy level.
Lower health literacy was not significantly associated with increased rates of 30-day emergency department visits or 90-day hospital readmissions.
The authors "suggest that among more than 1,200 surgical patients with low health literacy levels require additional time and resources for discharge teaching and instruction (e.g., management of surgically placed drains, wound care management, dietary changes), arranging home-health needs, and managing general anxiety regarding self-care during surgical disability once out of the hospital."
Several limitations of the study are noted in the article.
Source: Eurekalert
Advertisement
The median educational attainment of the patients was 13 years.
The researchers found that lower health literacy levels were associated with an increased hospital length of stay following surgery, such that patients with low health literacy levels spent an additional median of one day in the hospital compared with those with a high health literacy level.
Lower health literacy was not significantly associated with increased rates of 30-day emergency department visits or 90-day hospital readmissions.
The authors "suggest that among more than 1,200 surgical patients with low health literacy levels require additional time and resources for discharge teaching and instruction (e.g., management of surgically placed drains, wound care management, dietary changes), arranging home-health needs, and managing general anxiety regarding self-care during surgical disability once out of the hospital."
Several limitations of the study are noted in the article.
Source: Eurekalert
Using Morphine to Fight Pain After Abdominal Surgery may Prolong Surgical Pain
Using morphine to fight the pain associated with abdominal surgery may do the opposite and prolong a patient's suffering, increasing the amount of time it takes to recover from surgical pain.
Advertisement
 New Dissolvable Device Reduce Chances of Scars After Intestinal SurgeryA material using DHA and glyol, used in laxatives could be used to suture abdominal walls as they reduce damage to the intestines. | Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Readings
Latest Hospital News
Researchers analyzed the optimal dose and type of physical activity to improve recovery and minimize adverse events in hospitalized older adults.
Understanding the impact of shared medical appointments on patients' well-being and actions has been explored by researchers.
Among individuals admitted to hospitals, 66% were found to be colonized with bacteria that displayed resistance to third-generation cephalosporins.
Is prehabilitation associated with improved outcomes in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery? Yes, it improved overall function in comparison with usual care.
An exploratory investigation in Ghana revealed that surgical site infection was a statistically significant variable in determining postoperative healthcare costs.
