The effect of discharge education given before cataract surgery on patients' quality of life, activities of daily living and anxiety levels

The study was a quasi-experimental study with an experimental and control group that examined the effect of discharge education given before cataract surgery on patients' quality of life, activities of daily living and anxiety levels. The study was conducted with cataract surgery patients in the Mixed Ward of a state hospital in the Western Black Sea region between March 1, 2023 and July 1, 2023. The population of the study consisted of 153 patients who met the research criteria in the Mixed Ward of the relevant hospital. The sample consisted of 128 patients (experimental group=64, control group=64) who underwent cataract surgery between March 1, 2023 and July 1, 2023. The patients included in the study were divided into two groups as experimental and control groups. Demographic Information Form, State Trait Anxiety Scale, Nottingham Expanded Activities of Daily Living Scale, National Eye Health Institute Visual Function Scale (NEI-VFQ 25) and Training Evaluation Form for the experimental group were used in the study. Data were analyzed with SPSS for Windows 22 package program. In addition to numbers, percentages, minimum and maximum values, mean and standard deviations, Independent Groups t Test and Analysis of Variance in Dependent Groups were used for normally distributed measurements, Mann Whitney U analysis and Friedman Analysis were used for non-normally distributed measurements. The compatibility of the data with the normality assumption was calculated with "Kurtosis" and "Skewness" coefficients (±2). The mean State Anxiety score of the control group before surgery and the mean Trait Anxiety score of the experimental group before surgery were significantly higher (p<0.05). It was found that the mean scores of the National Eye Health Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ 25) General Vision and Eye Pain subscale scores of the experimental group on the 3rd day after surgery were significantly higher than the control group (p<0.05), and the mean State Anxiety score of the control group on the 3rd day after surgery was significantly higher than the experimental group (p<0.05). It was found that the mean score of the National Eye Health Institute Visual Function Scale (NEI-VFQ 25) Eye Pain subscale on the 10th day after surgery in the experimental group was significantly higher than in the control group (p<0.05), and the mean score of the State Anxiety on the 10th day after surgery in the control group was significantly higher than in the experimental group (p<0.05). The National Eye Health Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ 25) total scores of the patients in the experimental and control groups on the 10th postoperative day were higher than the 3rd postoperative day and preoperative day (p<0.05). The total scores of the patients in the experimental and control groups on the Notthingham Expanded Activities of Daily Living Scale on the 10th postoperative day were higher than those on the 3rd postoperative day and preoperatively (p<0.05). State Anxiety total scores of the patients in the experimental and control groups on the 10th postoperative day were found to be lower than the 3rd postoperative day and preoperative day (p<0.05). The study showed that discharge education given to cataract surgery patients had a positive effect on state anxiety, general vision and eye pain compared to the control group. There was no significant difference between the groups on activities of daily living and quality of life total scores. The results of the study can be shared with the relevant institution to raise awareness about the importance of discharge education.