Psychosocial characteristics and complications in outpatients in a French University Hospital

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Background: The objectives were to describe outpatients’ psychosocial characteristics and to identify the prevalences of unanticipated hospital admission immediately following outpatient surgery and of severe complications in outpatients at one month after ambulatory surgery. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted during one month in Rouen University Hospital in 2017. An anonymous questionnaire was administered in outpatients before hospital discharge. After another month after discharge, data regarding unanticipated hospital admission (primary endpoint) and readmission for complication related to ambulatory surgery and risk factors of readmission depending on psychosocial level (secondary endpoint) were collected from patient medical records. Results: A total of 598 outpatients were included. The mean age was 50.8 years old (SD = 19.8), the sex ratio M:F was 0.68. The repartition of surgeries was as it follows: 23.5% ophthalmic, 19.0% gynecological, 17.7% orthopedic, and 8.3% plastic. 47.5% of operations were performed under general anesthesia. 2.6% lived alone and socially isolated. 5% of outpatients returned home as a pedestrian or by public transportation. 13.7% of outpatients were alone for the first night after surgery. 1.84% of patients had an unanticipated hospital admission. 1.84% of patients returned in hospital in the 30 days that followed the surgery and 0.5% were readmitted. No significant difference was found between patients with low socioeconomic status and other patients for unanticipated hospital admission or readmission (working outpatients versus not working, p = 0.42, outpatients with primary, middle or secondary education versus higher education, p = 1.00). Conclusions: In our study, the prevalence of unanticipated hospital admission and readmission was low and comparable to the literature. In this work, the psychosocial level was not a risk factor of unanticipated hospital admission or readmission after ambulatory surgery. Key messages: Evaluating psychosocial characteristics in outpatients is important in order to better understand their needs and to be sure that the quality of care is according to each patient’s profile. In our study, the psychosocial level was not a risk factor of unanticipated hospital admission or readmission after ambulatory surgery.