Hospital Readmission After Major Abdominal/Colorectal Surgeries: A Mixed-Methods Study

Hospital readmission after major abdominal and colorectal surgeries is a complex phenomenon that impacts the quality and affordability of healthcare. A comprehensive review of the literature after implementation of the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program in 2012 revealed a paucity in studies that analyzed patients\u27 perceptions regarding the phenomenon of readmission. In addition, there is a need for randomized trials that assess the impact of interventions on the rate of readmission among complex surgical patients. A mixed-methods study was conducted to combine descriptive factors impacting hospital readmission with patients\u27 perceptions to produce meaningful data. The results indicated that although discharge education is documented 100% of the time, patients expressed a lack of understanding about recovery and post-operative care. Some patients expressed a sense of vulnerability as they struggled managing the new wound, tubes, or drains. In addition, although majority of patients had home healthcare services arranged, patients expressed during the semi-structured interviews that either the services provided were inadequate or they lacked sufficient information to provide personalized care. That said, conducting a qualitative study in an acute care setting could pose challenges to a novice researcher. The final chapter on tips and strategies to conduct semi-structured interviews amidst a pandemic demonstrates pragmatic value as it combines steps provided in textbooks along with experience learned from conducting such interviews