Findings seen among kidney transplant patients who were paired with former patients for 30 days following surgery<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
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FRIDAY, Jan. 28, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Mentoring programs can help improve patients’ transition from hospital to home by reducing their postoperative anxiety following a transplant, according to a study published online Jan. 17 in the Journal of Operations Management<\/em>.<\/p>\n Yeojun Chun, from The Ohio State University in Columbus, and colleagues evaluated a standardized peer-mentoring program where former patients mentor current patients for 30 days postdischarge. They enrolled 80 transplant patients randomly assigned to either mentoring or usual care.<\/p>\n The researchers found that patients in the treatment arm experienced a 3.42-point greater decrease in the anxiety score over 30 days. Unexpectedly, patients in the treatment arm had a 12.6 times greater risk for readmission during the first 30 days. The investigators suggested this finding was due to patients reporting complications sooner and getting treated earlier.<\/p>\n “Patients and former patients can and should be co-creators of value in the transition of care process,” a coauthor said in a statement. “They re vital resources for managing care especially because nurses, physicians, and social workers are already overworked. Hospitals can benefit from a structured approach to pairing patients with a mentor to help navigate the first few months of postsurgical anxiety.”<\/p>\n Abstract\/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n <\/i><\/p>\n