A qualitative study of older adults’ and family caregivers’ perspectives regarding their preoperative care transitions

Aims and objectives To explore how older patients with multiple chronic conditions and their family caregivers perceive their engagement and overall care experience throughout the preoperative phase of elective orthopaedic hip or knee joint replacement. Background Patient engagement is a critical component of care necessary for improving patient outcomes. Little is known about how older adults with multiple chronic conditions and their family caregivers engage in preoperative care transitions and the subsequent impact of this experience on postoperative health outcomes. Design Prospective qualitative descriptive design was used. Methods Semi‐structured telephone interviews with a convenience sample of older adults coping with multiple chronic conditions and their family caregivers. Interviews were conducted prior to surgery and, again 21 days postsurgery, were audio‐recorded and transcribed for qualitative content analysis. The Quality Health Outcomes Model was used to categorise study findings. Results Eleven patients and five family caregivers participated. Guided by the Quality Health Outcomes Model, four major themes were identified. (i) Older adults perceive that joint replacement is about quality of life. (ii) Standardised interventions often fail to address the unique needs of complex older adults. (iii) Family caregivers perceive they are the primary care coordinators. (iv) Postoperative outcomes and resource utilisation vary widely in complex older adults. Conclusion Findings suggest that current preoperative care interventions are often not designed to effectively engage complex older patients and their family caregivers. Coordinated patient‐centred preoperative care that reflects the needs and goals of complex older patients and their family caregivers may positively influence perioperative care transitions and outcomes beyond this episode of care. Relevance to clinical practice The current research documents the need for more in‐depth knowledge about the relationship between older adults’ and their family caregivers’ engagement preoperatively and postoperative outcomes and resource utilisation.