Raising the Alarm: A Cross-Sectional Study Exploring the Factors Affecting Patients' Willingness to Escalate Care on Surgical Wards
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background
Delays in escalation of care for patients may contribute to poor outcome. The factors that influence surgical patients’ willingness to call for help on wards are currently unknown. This study explored the factors that affect patients’ willingness to call for help on surgical wards; how patients call for help and to whom; how to encourage patients to call for help, and the barriers to patients calling for help.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted in three London hospitals using a questionnaire designed through expert opinion and the published literature. A total of 155 surgical patients (83 % response rate) participated.
Results
Patients were more willing to call for help using the bedside buzzer or by calling a nurse compared to a doctor (p < 0.001). The prompts to calling for help patients were most likely to act on were bleeding and pain. Patients were more willing to call for help if encouraged by a healthcare professional than a relative or fellow patient (p < 0.01). Patients were more likely to worry about taking up too much time when calling for help than being perceived as difficult (p < 0.001). For some prompts, male patients were more willing to call for help (p < 0.05).
Conclusions
This is the first study to identify factors affecting patients’ willingness to call for help on surgical wards. Interventions that take these factors into account can be developed to encourage patients to call for help and may avoid delays in treatment.
Delays in escalation of care for patients may contribute to poor outcome. The factors that influence surgical patients’ willingness to call for help on wards are currently unknown. This study explored the factors that affect patients’ willingness to call for help on surgical wards; how patients call for help and to whom; how to encourage patients to call for help, and the barriers to patients calling for help.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted in three London hospitals using a questionnaire designed through expert opinion and the published literature. A total of 155 surgical patients (83 % response rate) participated.
Results
Patients were more willing to call for help using the bedside buzzer or by calling a nurse compared to a doctor (p < 0.001). The prompts to calling for help patients were most likely to act on were bleeding and pain. Patients were more willing to call for help if encouraged by a healthcare professional than a relative or fellow patient (p < 0.01). Patients were more likely to worry about taking up too much time when calling for help than being perceived as difficult (p < 0.001). For some prompts, male patients were more willing to call for help (p < 0.05).
Conclusions
This is the first study to identify factors affecting patients’ willingness to call for help on surgical wards. Interventions that take these factors into account can be developed to encourage patients to call for help and may avoid delays in treatment.
Date Issued
2015-05-27
Date Acceptance
2015-05-01
Citation
WORLD JOURNAL OF SURGERY, 2015, 39 (9), pp.2207-2213
ISSN
0364-2313
Publisher
SPRINGER
Start Page
2207
End Page
2213
Journal / Book Title
WORLD JOURNAL OF SURGERY
Volume
39
Issue
9
Copyright Statement
© 2015 Société Internationale de Chirurgie. The final publication is available at https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00268-015-3099-0
Sponsor
National Institute for Health Research
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000359447800015&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Grant Number
NF-SI-0510-10186
RDPSC 79560
RDPSC 79560
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Surgery
EARLY WARNING SCORE
HEALTH-CARE
INPATIENT SURGERY
SAFETY
COMPLICATIONS
INVOLVEMENT
QUALITY
FAILURE
RESCUE
PHYSICIANS
Publication Status
Published