Pre-operative Information Needs for Cholangiocarcinoma Patients in Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen University,Thailand

Abstract

Background: Cholangiocarcinoma (CHCA) is the hepatobiliary malignancy commonly found in Northeast of Thailand.  Surgery is  one of  the treatment  modality  for CHCA.  Stress and anxiety always occur in preoperative period and affect the physiology, psychology, emotion, social, thinking, perception and memory of the patients. To relieve their dismal feeling in this period, the patients usually seek the information concerning the surgery and its complications. Preparatory information is the essential and important  mean  to decrease levels of stress and anxiety.

Objective: To study the needs for preoperative information of CHCA patients in Srinagarind Hospital.

Methods: This was a descriptive study of 80 CHCA patients in preoperative period between August 2004 to January 2005.   We studied preoperative information  needs of CHCA patients in one day before surgery.  The instruments used in this study consisted of two parts:  1) personal data procurement 2) the preparatory information and the questionnaires were validated by 3 experts. The internal consistencies of the questionnaires were tested and analized reliability by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The coefficient were 0.98. The data  were analized by  SPSS Version 12.0 for Window determining the frequency and percentage.

Results: The needs for pre-operative information  are rated as high level at 68.8% and moderate level at 24.5% (=2.6, S.D.=0.6) respectively by CHCA patients.

Conclusion: Preoperative information needs was high in Srinagarind Hospital.   It is essential to provide preoperative information to relieve  stress and anxiety of the patients.

Key words: Preoperative information needs, Cholangiocarcinoma