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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2014; 62(08): 662-669
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1371532
Original Cardiovascular
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Need for Psychosocial Assistance in Patients Undergoing Cardiothoracic Surgery Evaluated by a Seven-Item Questionnaire

Maike K. Sachs
1   Department of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
,
Peter C. Kahr
2   Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
,
Hans H. Scheld
1   Department of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
,
Gaby Drees
1   Department of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

08 September 2013

14 January 2014

Publication Date:
01 May 2014 (online)

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Abstract

Background Cardiothoracic surgery can have adverse effects on the patients' psychosocial well-being which may influence the overall prognosis. In this study, we tested the use of a seven-item screening instrument for the preoperative identification of need for psychosocial assistance in cardiothoracic patients.

Methods and Results A total of 297 consecutive patients (69% male) with a median age of 70 years (59;75) completed the seven-item Hornheide Screening Instrument (HSI) on the day of admission. According to questionnaire scores predefined in the literature (cutoff ≥ 4), 130 patients (44%) exhibited a need for psychosocial support. We found female patients to have significantly higher need for psychosocial support than male patients, irrespective of their age, New York Heart Association classification or Canadian Cardiovascular Society classification, and the type of surgery they were undergoing (53 vs. 41%, p = 0.034). In addition, we found that preoperative need for psychosocial support, using the predefined cutoff criterion as well as a higher absolute score, was associated with a prolonged length of hospitalization (p < 0.05).

Conclusion We found the HSI to be a suitable tool to identify psychosocial need in cardiothoracic patients. The relatively high incidence of these patients in our study concurs with previous studies, which generally used more complex instruments. In addition, we found that preoperative scores were associated with prolonged length of stay. Therefore, the use of this questionnaire could represent an alternative, more rapid tool for the psychosocial assessment of cardiothoracic patients in daily routine.

Keywords

perioperative care - length of stay - psychosocial factors - cardiothoracic surgery

Note

All the authors are responsible for all aspects of the reliability and freedom from bias of the data presented and their discussed interpretation.


 

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