You have accessJournal of UrologyGeneral & Epidemiological Trends & Socioeconomics: Practice Patterns, Quality of Life and Shared Decision Making II (MP12)1 Apr 2020MP12-03 COMPLICATIONS AFTER RADICAL CYSTECTOMY: UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT OF RECOVERY Kinnari Patel*, Leilei Xia, Aseem Malhotra, Anisleidy Fombona, Thomas Guzzo, and Daniel Lee Kinnari Patel*Kinnari Patel* More articles by this author , Leilei XiaLeilei Xia More articles by this author , Aseem MalhotraAseem Malhotra More articles by this author , Anisleidy FombonaAnisleidy Fombona More articles by this author , Thomas GuzzoThomas Guzzo More articles by this author , and Daniel LeeDaniel Lee More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000000832.03AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Postoperative complications after radical cystectomy are common and bear significant impact to the patient. Over 60% of patients will experience some type of complication and over 30% readmitted to the hospital. Despite significant innovation, the complication rates remain high, and little is understood about potential modifiable patient factors or behaviors that could reduce the complication rate. Therefore, we sought to evaluate the context of the patient recovery process after radical cystectomy to identify key areas that could be modified to potentially reduce complications. METHODS: In cooperation with the Center for Digital Health Innovation, and after receiving approval from the University of Pennsylvania Quality Improvement institutional review board, we identified 44 patients who underwent a radical cystectomy from January 2019 to June 2019. A mixed methods approach using in-depth semi-structured interviews of patients and their caregivers, and shadowing of patient-provider interactions was performed after the radical cystectomy to identify potential key themes and possible modifiable factors. In total, 44 patients and 25 caregivers were interviewed about their experiences. Health literacy was measured according to the METER tool, a validated instrument. RESULTS: Overall, the median age at cystectomy was 71 years, with caregiver age ranging from 52-79 years. Overall the median METER health literacy score was 29, indicating marginal health literacy. Thirty two percent of the patients did not have a smart phone, 34% did not have an email, but 64% did identify a significant primary caregiver. Ninety-one percent of the patients were obese. Postoperatively, 57% experienced a complication within 90 days, 40% of those with complications had more than one complication, and 34% were readmitted. Approximately 54% of all the phone calls to the Urology Department after cystectomy were for logistical follow up questions. There were several recurrent themes amongst all the patients and caregivers about their recovery. All the patients experienced difficulty with processing information. Most patients did not read through the printed material, and felt overwhelmed with all the information during the preoperative counseling sessions and time with the wound ostomy nurses. Videos were the easiest to remember but the most difficult to locate. Most of the patients experienced frustration with communication, especially in knowing how to contact the provider. In addition, it was unclear when to contact a provider, especially if they were uncertain if a symptom was expected or abnormal. A significant theme from the caregivers was how emotionally and physically taxing it was to provide care for their loved one. CONCLUSIONS: There are significant patient, provider, and caregiver factors that may contribute to the high complication rate after cystectomy. Finding practical solutions to address information overload, improve communication, and provide explicit support for caregivers would be essential to implementing any intervention aimed to reduce complications. Future studies that utilize these findings may help to uncover innovative ways to reduce complications and improve patient outcomes. Source of Funding: Pilot grant from the Center for Digital Health Innovation Accelerator © 2020 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 203Issue Supplement 4April 2020Page: e145-e145 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2020 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Kinnari Patel* More articles by this author Leilei Xia More articles by this author Aseem Malhotra More articles by this author Anisleidy Fombona More articles by this author Thomas Guzzo More articles by this author Daniel Lee More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...