Social determinants of self-care subsequent to major medical surgery at the Central Regional Teaching Hospital in Ghana

William Boateng

doi:10.4314/gjds.v13i2.8

Abstract

The periods between post-discharge and full recovery can be challenging for most patients, since they have to be on self-care as they work their way back to full recovery. This study aimed to find out the experiences of discharged patients on self-care subsequent to major medical surgery at the Central Regional Teaching Hospital in Ghana. The study is informed by the qualitative research design. Experiences of twenty participants who had undergone surgery and were continuing with the recovery regimen at home were tapped into as the sample for the study. Purposive sampling technique was also adopted in selecting ten clinicians from the surgical ward to ascertain what went into preparing discharged patients to care for themselves at home after major medical surgery. Based on the findings of the study it was concluded that education, residential status, marital status, and availability and ability to convert social network into social capital constitute major social determinants of self-care. It was recommended among others that the social determinants of self-care identified above should inform plans aimed at preparing patients better to continue the recovery process on their own at home. Keywords: Social, Determinants, Self-Care, Surgery, Discharged Patients

Highlights

Patients who undergo surgery, most often than not, have to stay in hospitals for some time to show significant evidence of recovery before being discharged to continue the journey to full recovery at home
This study aims to explore how the social determinants identified above impact on self-care after medical surgery in the Ghanaian social context
These discharged patients were on admission for a minimum period of two weeks following their surgeries at the Central Regional Teaching Hospital in Cape Coast, Ghana

Summary

Introduction

Most often than not, have to stay in hospitals for some time to show significant evidence of recovery before being discharged to continue the journey to full recovery at home. The period between discharge and full recovery can be challenging for most patients, since they have to be on their own as they work their way back to full recovery. This study aimed to learn about the experiences of discharged patients continuing with treatment regimen on their own at home and the social factors affecting such self-care at home. The study is important given the evidence that most patients during the post discharge period develop all sort of complications mainly emanating from snags and failure to follow rigidly medical advice received prior to discharge (Kable et al, 2004). Major medical surgery in this study is conceptualized as any surgery done on a patient involving a post-surgical admission at the hospital for a minimum period of two weeks

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Conclusion