Patient and family satisfaction levels in the intensive care unit after elective cardiac surgery: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial of a preoperative patient education intervention

Lai, Veronica Ka Wai; Lee, Anna; Leung, Patricia; Chiu, Chun Hung; Ho, Ka Man; Gomersall, Charles David; Underwood, Malcolm John; Joynt, Gavin Matthew

The proposed secondary outcomes will be the change in anxiety and depression scores using the Chinese-Cantonese version of HADS. 30 This is a valid and reliable tool comprising of seven questions relating to anxiety (anxiety subscale) and seven questions relating to depression (depression subscale). 30 Each item is scored according to a four-point scale (0-3) and for each subscale, the score ranges from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating a greater severity of disorder. The incidence of anxiety and depression will be defined as HADS subscale scores of ≥8. 38 The internal reliability Cronbach's α values for the anxiety and depression were 0.77 and 0.82, respectively, and the full scale is 0.86. 30 The Chinese-Cantonese version of the HADS will be used at the time of consent into the study and on the seventh day after cardiac surgery. In the unlikely event that the patient is discharged before postoperative day 7, the blinded outcome assessor will use the HADS at this point in time by conducting a telephone follow-up.