Correlations between readiness for hospital discharge and self-efficacy in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Abstract

Objective To investigate the level of readiness for hospital discharge in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and its correlation with patients' self-efficacy. Methods A questionnaire survey was administered to 240 elderly COPD patients admitted to the people's hospital of Wuhan University in Hubei Province from November 2017 to March 2018, using the Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale and the Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease 6-Item Scale. Pearson correlations were used for analysis. Results Total scores for hospital discharge readiness were (6.13±0.89) and for self-efficacy were (3.42±1.46) in elderly COPD patients. Pearson correlation analyses indicated that there were significant positive correlations between the total scores and all dimensions of readiness for hospital discharge and self-efficacy in elderly patients with COPD (r=0.256-0.651, P<0.01). Conclusion The readiness for hospital discharge in elderly patients with COPD is still at a medium level, and the level of self-efficacy is low. Readiness for hospital discharge and self-efficacy are positively correlated in elderly patients with COPD. Health care workers should pay active attention to the readiness for hospital discharge in elderly patients with COPD so as to help them improve their self-efficacy, and promote disease recovery. Key words: Pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive; Self-assessment; Patient discharge; Discharge readiness; Correlation