The aim of the survey was to explore healthcare professionals' perceptions regarding the time to first postoperative mobilisation after abdominal and cardiothoracic surgery by estimating the typical timeframe and determine their opinions on the optimal time to mobilization to be considered early.
A study-specific survey was developed and tested by a research group of physiotherapists and nurses, all specialized in surgery or anesthesiology and with long experience of work with patients undergoing abdominal and cardiothoracic surgery.
Two questions were phrased to capture the aim of the study:
-How many hours after the end of surgery do you estimate that patients are usually mobilised?
-When do you think that mobilisation should take place to be considered “early”?
The questions were separately asked regarding eight categories of surgery and after different surgical techniques. Responses were estimated in three-hour intervals. Mobilisation was defined as movement to at least sitting on the bedside. In addition, the questions covering demographic variables were included.
The survey was sent to the 18 hospitals included in the first SOMBATA study but also to additional hospitals, and via special interest groups. Physicians, nurses, assistant nurses, and physiotherapists, working in surgical and postoperative care were targeted.
A total of 503 healthcare professionals in Sweden participated in the study by completing the questionnaire. Most responders were employed in University Hospitals (84%) and most were nurses (50%). The mean age was 42 years, and the majority were women (81%).
The shortest time to mobilisation (0-3 h) was estimated for patients undergoing minor upper abdominal surgery, and the longest (6-9h) patients undergoing oesophageal resection (6-9 h). An equally long time to mobilisation was estimated for patients undergoing major open upper or lower abdominal surgery or colon resections.
For all surgery types, except open cardiac surgery and minimally invasive or robot-assisted minor upper abdominal surgery, patients were considered to be able to be mobilised one time-interval earlier than current practice (p0.001).
In this national survey, physicians, nurses, assistant nurses, and physiotherapists reported that for most surgery types, patients were considered to be able to be mobilised earlier than in current practice.
The results of this study will contribute to the development of a definition of early mobilisation after abdominal and cardiothoracic surgery. This research addresses the current diverse perspectives within healthcare and may be useful for future interventions aimed at enhancing postoperative care and patient recovery outcomes.The results of this study will contribute to the development of a definition of early mobilisation after surgery.
Mobilisation
Postoperative
