Feasibility of the Implementation of Transitional Care Program in Patients with Musculoskeletal Tumor Undergoing Surgery

Abstract

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study (one-group pre-and post-test design) was to examine the feasibility of a transitional care program in patients with musculoskeletal tumors undergoing surgery. A sample of 10 patients with musculoskeletal tumors was purposely selected from three orthopedic wards at a super-tertiary hospital. The program consisted of 1) discharge planning, and 2) collaboration and care coordination among multidisciplinary teams, families, and patients. Data were collected by using demographic records, the senses of coherence scale, the readiness for hospital discharge questionnaire, the satisfaction with nursing care questionnaire, the satisfaction with pain management measure, a range of motion (ROM) record form, a pain assessment scale, a surgical site infection record form, and a feasibility of the program implementation questionnaire. Statistical analyses were performed using descriptive statistics, the Friedman test, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Findings demonstrated that the program was feasible with a high score for implementation. Measuring the effectiveness of the program on patient outcomes found that the readiness for hospital discharge score at discharge was significantly increased compared to before discharge (Z=-2.803, p < .05). Similar findings were also observed for the satisfaction with nursing care at one-month post-discharge (Z=-2.041, p< .05). ROM at one-month post discharge significantly increased when compared to the day of discharge (Z= -2.388, p< .05), and no surgical site infection was found. No significant differences were identified in the sense of coherence measure over time although it was at a high level. The transitional care program is feasible to implement in clinical settings, it should be therefore disseminated to other settings with a large population.