ROLE OF CAREGIVERS IN A DISCHARGE OF DAY CARE SURGERIES PATIENTS AT TERTIARY CARE CENTER- COMPARATIVE STUDY

Abstract

Background: Day care surgery refers to those surgeries in which the patient is operated and discharged in the very same day and didn’t require an overnight stay. It’s a booming trend in many industrialized nations and gradually gaining in popularity in developing countries too. It has many advantages cost-effective, shorter hospital stays, fewer complications etc. delayed discharge after surgeries for medically fit is a generalized problem with a complex set of problems. The role of caregivers in prolonging or shortening stay is often missed with only a handful of studies available. This study aims to explore the role of primary caregivers in discharge and to find out various reasons of hospital stay.

Material and Methods: A comparative study was conducted among caregivers of patients undergoing elective daycare surgery. For comparing the role of caregivers among discharge, fifty study subjects of day care surgery patients with timely discharge (Group A) and fifty study subjects of day care surgery patients with delayed discharge (Group B) were randomly selected. A pre-defined structured questionnaire was filled out by trained staff members or duty doctors. All data were recorded in Microsoft Excel spreadsheet version 2016 and later on data analysis using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) for Windows (version 23.0).

Results: A delay discharge rate of 71.1% in our setting is a huge problem. The majority (64%) were 30 years and above of age while in Group B (Delayed discharge) mostly young caregivers below 30 years of age. female gender, rural area, low educational status, and feeling of being unable to take care of post-operatively have been found the primary issues.

Conclusion: Family and caregivers’ physical and emotional support appears to be a prerequisite for the timely discharge of patients from healthcare facilities. This study concludes with suggestions for healthcare providers and policymakers that they should carefully take caregivers in context before discharge planning policies to reduce delayed discharge and improve patient outcomes.