The effect of mobile application-supported education provided to patients undergoing cholecystectomy surgery on patients' surgical anxiety levels and quality of life

Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of mobile application-assisted nursing education on surgical anxiety levels and quality of life in patients undergoing cholecystectomy. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted as a randomized controlled trial in the surgical clinics of Malatya Training and Research Hospital between 2024 and 2025. The study included 100 patients (50 in the intervention group, 50 in the control group), as determined by power analysis. While the intervention group received a mobile application-assisted education program, the control group received standard clinical care. Patients in the intervention group were provided with education regarding their daily life activities, medication use, signs of complications, and the surgical process via the mobile application, both preoperatively and postoperatively. The data collection instruments used were the Patient Information Form, the Surgical Anxiety Scale (SAS), and the Quality of Life Scale (QLS). Results: According to the study results, a statistically significant reduction in surgical anxiety scores was observed in patients who received education via the mobile application (p<0.05). Significant decreases were detected across all subdimensions of the Surgical Anxiety Scale (SAS). Furthermore, the quality of life of patients educated through the mobile application was found to be higher compared to the control group. On the Quality of Life Scale (QLS), the improvement in the physical, psychological, social, and environmental domain subdimensions, in particular, was determined to be statistically significant (p<0.05). The educational program enhanced the patients' knowledge levels and improved their problem-coping skills. Conclusion: The findings indicate that mobile application-assisted education is effective in reducing patients' anxiety and enhancing their quality of life both before and after the surgical procedure. It was concluded that this method can be utilized as a significant tool in planning patient-specific education and in increasing patient satisfaction. Keywords: Anxiety, Patient education, Nursing, Cholecystectomy, Mobile application, Quality of life