Eliciting Patient Experiences about their Care after Cardiac Surgery

ABSTRACT Background Experience surveys provide an opportunity for patients to give their feedback about healthcare processes and services. Unfortunately, the majority of current surveys have been designed as “one-size fits-all” tools, and thus, do not take into account items pertaining to specific clinical groups. The objective of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the specific aspects of care deemed important to cardiac surgery patients. Methods Individual semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with a cohort of patients who had previously underwent cardiac surgery. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Using a phenomenological approach, a thematic analysis was used to generate a list of themes and subthemes deemed important by participants. Results Eight interviews were conducted in July and August 2019. Participants included seven males and one female, ranging from 55 to 84 years of age. Five key themes emerged from the data: (1) overall experience, (2) communication, (3) the physical hospital environment, (4) care needs and ongoing management, (5) person-centred care. Our interviews revealed that participants had many overwhelmingly positive experiences with care. Through reports of their own experiences, participants highlighted important areas that may be improved. Conclusions Our results confirm and expand upon those highlighted in quantitative research by our group. Findings and knowledge derived from this study may be used to inform quality improvement activities. These may also play a key role in the development of a patient experience survey, specifically for those who undergo cardiac surgery; thus addressing a potential limitation of surveys currently in use.