Patient Education Initiative Aimed at Reducing Postoperative Complications

Abstract

Improving patient outcomes through evidence-based research and delivering high-quality care is a goal of many local, state, and federal regulatory agencies that monitor healthcare systems. Patient safety is considered a national priority which requires team building and therapeutic relationships between the provider, patient, and families. Patient education is just one of the many ways to improve patient outcomes, reduce costs, and form productive therapeutic relationships. A nurse-led education initiative was implemented to assess patient health literacy in a group of robotic-assisted urological surgery patients to reduce postoperative complications. Improvement was measured by a postoperative follow-up phone call within seven days of discharge. This quality improvement project focused on cost reduction, individualized teaching opportunities, and complication prevention. The project findings supported that preventing a complication was beneficial to the patient and the organization because it could reduce the length of hospital stay, decrease cost, and improve patient satisfaction.