Effect of Discharge Plan on Outcomes of Patients with Lumbar Disc Herniation Surgery

Abstract

Context: Discharge planning for patients undergoing lumbar disc herniation surgery is considered a strategy for promoting their home and community outcomes.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the discharge plan's effect on patients' outcomes with lumbar disc herniation surgery.

Methods: A quasi-experimental design was utilized to conduct this study. The study was conducted in the neurosurgical ward at El-Demerdash hospital and outpatient clinic at Ain Shams University Hospital, affiliated to Ain Shams University. A purposive sample of 60 patients with lumbar disc herniation surgery was selected according to specific inclusion criteria. The sample size was determined statistically by power analysis considering the total number of patients with lumbar disc herniation surgery in El Demerdash hospital (2016). Tools of the study included patients’ interviewing questionnaire regarding patients’ demographic characteristics, assessment of patients' knowledge, and patients' outcomes assessment tools that include Oswestry disability index, the lower extremity functional scale, and the social dysfunction scale and SF36 to assess psychological outcome.

Results: The present study revealed that the mean age of the patients under study was 39.58±8.69, 60% of them were females, and there was a highly statistically significant difference among patients under study throughout discharge planning phases regarding their knowledge, their level of disability, their lower extremity functional scale, total social dysfunction, and total psychological outcomes pre and at follow-up. There were statistically significant relations between patients' level of knowledge and their outcome pre and three months after implementing the discharge plan.

Conclusion: Application of discharge planning regarding lumbar disc herniation surgery improved patients' outcomes. The discharge plan should be available in the neurosurgical department and clinic for all patients who will be undergoing lumbar disc herniation surgery and should be updated periodically.