Transition from Hospital to Daily Life: A Pilot Study

Purpose: To assess the effect of nurse-led systematic rehabilitation counseling performed before discharge to prevent concerns in the hospital-to-home gap in rehabilitation of lung cancer patients after surgery. Design and Method: A quasi-experimental intervention study. One hundred twenty patients with operable non-small cell lung cancer admitted for surgery participated. Outcome was assessed by a validated self-rating questionnaire. The intervention was performed at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Denmark. Results: Following nurse-led rehabilitation counseling, results showed that significantly more patients were offered physical rehabilitation, were aware of where to seek help after discharge, and experienced support to get back to daily life. Conclusions: A systematic rehabilitation counseling obliges some of the concerns lung cancer patients might have in the transition from hospital to daily life. Clinical Relevance: Despite promising results, there is still a need to improve support for patients with lung cancer requiring rehabilitation.