Surgical perioperative pathways—Patient experiences of unmet needs show that a person‐centred approach is needed

Aim To explore patients’ and healthcare professionals’ experiences of patients’ surgical pathways in a perioperative setting. Background Elective surgical pathways have improved over the past decades due to fast‐track programmes, but patients desire more personalised and coordinated care and treatment. There is little knowledge of how healthcare professionals’ collaboration and communication affect patients’ pathways. Design The overall framework was complex intervention method. A phenomenological‐hermeneutic approach was used for data analyses. COREQ checklist was used as a guideline to secure accurate and complete reporting of the study. Methods Field observations (120 hr) and semi‐structured interviews (24 patients) were undertaken during 2016–2017. Healthcare professionals involved in the pathways were interviewed: (a) 13 single interviews and (b) 13 focus group interviews (37 healthcare professionals) were conducted. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist was used. Results Patients asked for individualised information adapted to their life and illness experiences. Furthermore, healthcare professionals need access to a quick overview of individual patients and their perioperative pathway in the electronic patient journal (EPJ). Agreements made with patients did not always reach the right receiver, there was poor interpersonal communication and the complex teamwork between many healthcare professionals made pathways incoherent and uncoordinated. Healthcare professionals who had the time to talk about other subjects than the disease with smiles and good humour gave patients a feeling of security. Conclusion Patients wanted to be treated as individuals, but often they received standard treatment. Healthcare professionals had the intention of treating patients individually, but the EPJ and information provided to patients were not easy to access. Relevance to clinical practice Visible information about the patient's whole pathway could improve healthcare professionals’ care and treatment. In addition, systematic feedback from patients’ could make it possible to adjust information, care and treatment to achieve a more coherent pathway. Particular attention needs to be paid to how electronic healthcare systems can underpin relational coordination in pathways.