Effect of discharge plan on anxiety level in patients undergoing cardiac surgery: A systematic review

This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effect of discharge planning on anxiety levels in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. A thorough search was conducted across international electronic databases, including Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar search engine, from their inception until October 9, 2024. The search utilized Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) keywords such as “discharge plan”, “anxiety”, and “coronary artery bypass graft”. The quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist. A total of 315 patients were included across four studies. Of these participants, 66.83% were male, and 50.79% were assigned to the intervention group. The average age of the participants was 60.82 (standard deviation [SD]=9.06) years. Among the studies, one was quasi-experimental, while three were RCTs. Two studies were conducted in Iran and two in Turkey. Three studies utilized the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to evaluate patient anxiety, while one study employed the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The mean follow-up period across the studies was seven weeks. In all four studies, the discharge plan effectively reduced patient anxiety. It is recommended that nursing managers and policymakers create conditions that enable health professionals to incorporate discharge planning into hospital care, thereby reducing anxiety in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.