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The aims of this study were to evaluate the longitudinal risk of self-harm and the risk factors for self-harm after bariatric surgery in patients and control subjects without prior self-harm. This observational cohort study was based on prospectively registered data. Patients 18-70 years at time of surgery, body mass index (BMI) 30 kg/m

ObjectivesThis study psychometrically evaluated General Self-Efficacy (GSE) Scale in patients planned for bariatric surgery in Sweden.DesignA cross-sectional psychometric study. The psychometric evaluation was guided by the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement Instruments checklist for health-related reported-patient outcomes.SettingThree bariatric centres in Sweden.ParticipantsAdult patients≥18 years old scheduled for primary bariatric surgery (with sleeve gastrectomy or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass).Primary and secondary measuresPsychometric properties of the GSE.ResultsIn total, 704 patients were included in the analysis. Mean values for GSE items were 2.9–3.4 and the mean GSE sum score was 31.4 (SD 4.7). There were no floor or ceiling effects. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.89. Men reported a higher mean GSE than did women, that is, 31.2 (SD 4.8) for women versus 32.1 (SD 4.3) for men, p=0.03. Correlation coefficients were weak or negligible: GSE and mental component summary score of 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36)/RAND 36, r=0.18 (pConclusionsThe GSE scale is a valid and reliable scale that can be used to assess general self-efficacy in patients undergoing bariatric surgery.

Background Health literacy is an important social determinant of health and affects the ability to make decisions and take action to manage one’s health. The purpose of this study was to psychometrically examine the Arabic versions of HLS-EU-Q16 and HLS-EU-Q6 and their response patterns among Arabic-speaking persons in Sweden. Methods By convenience sampling from a variety of settings, a total of 335 participants were invited to participate. The participants completed a self-assessment of comprehensive health literacy by answering the Ar-HLS-EU-Q16 questionnaire, also including the six items for Ar-HLS-EU-Q6. Statistical analysis was guided by The COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments. Floor/ceiling effects, construct, structural and criterion validity, test-retest reliability and internal consistency reliability were analysed. Results In total, 320 participants were included in the psychometric evaluation. Mean age was 42.1 (SD 12.5), 63% (n = 199) were females and 53% (n = 169) had at least 10 years of education. No floor or ceiling effect were found for the Ar-HLS-EU-Q16 or Ar-HLS-EU-Q6. For both instruments, construct validity was confirmed in four out of five expected correlations (weak positive correlation to educational level, self-perceived health, and years in Sweden; moderate positive correlation with higher sum score on the Arabic electronic health literacy scale, and strong positive correlation to higher Ar-HLS-EU-Q16/Ar-HLS-EU-Q6). For Ar-HLS-EU-Q16, the principal component analysis resulted in a three-factor model with all items significantly correlating to only one factor. For Ar-HLS-EU-Q6, the principal component analysis supported a one-factor solution. Criterion validity showed poor agreement between the two questionnaires with a Cohen κ 0.58 (p Conclusion The Arabic version of HLS-EU-Q16 shows good psychometric properties, validated in a Swedish setting. The findings can further inform and guide future validation studies in other settings worldwide. Furthermore, the results of the present study did not support criterion validity of Ar-HLS-EU-Q6.

Background Specialized nursing care should be provided by nurses working in post-anaesthesia care units to ensure safe and successful recovery after surgery and anaesthesia. However, there is no consensus regarding the competence and education needed by nurses working in post-anaesthesia care units. Aim The aim of this study is to describe and compare levels of education and technical skills in registered nurses working in post-anaesthesia care units in Sweden, as well as the education that post-anaesthesia care unit nurse managers' desire for registered nurses working in post-anaesthesia care units. Methods This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Sweden between September and December of 2019. A web-based survey was developed that included questions about the levels of education and technical skills possessed by registered nurses working in Swedish post-anaesthesia care units and desired by nurse managers for these nurses. The survey was evaluated for content validity by four experts. The survey was distributed to the nurse manager of each studied post-anaesthesia care unit. All nurse managers received written information and were informed that submitting the survey was considered as consenting to participate in the study. Results Most surveyed nurses held a postgraduate diploma in specialist nursing. Registered nurses performed many tasks autonomously; however, there was a significant difference between specialist nurses and registered nurses, with specialist nurses being more autonomous than registered nurses. Most of the nurse managers (n = 31/45) wanted the registered nurses in their units to have education in postoperative care. The relatively low overall response rate of 58% is a study limitation. Conclusions Registered nurses working in post-anaesthesia care units in Sweden must have various technical skills. Some of these skills are only performed by specialist nurses, indicating that postoperative care is an advanced level of nursing care.

There is no consensus about the type of instrument with which to assess postoperative recovery or the time points when assessments are most appropriate. It is also unclear whether instruments measure the four dimensions of postoperative recovery, that is physical, psychological, social, and habitual recovery. This scoping review had three objectives: (1) to identify and describe instruments used in clinical trials to assess postoperative recovery; (2) to determine how, when, and the number of times postoperative recovery was measured; and (3) to explore whether the four dimensions of postoperative recovery are represented in the identified instruments.A literature search was conducted in CINAHL, MEDLINE, and Web of Science. The search terms were related to three search strands: postoperative recovery, instrument, and clinical trials. The limits were English language and publication January 2010 to November 2021. In total, 5015 studies were identified.A total of 198 studies were included in the results. We identified 20 instruments measuring postoperative recovery. Different versions of Quality of Recovery represented 81.8% of the included instruments. Postoperative recovery was often assessed at one time point (47.2%) and most often on postoperative day 1 (81.5%). Thirteen instruments had items covering all four dimensions of postoperative recovery.Assessing recovery is important to evaluate and improve perioperative care. We emphasise the importance of choosing the right instrument for the concept studied and, if postoperative recovery is of interest, of assessing more than once. Ideally, instruments should include all four dimensions to cover the whole recovery process.

Patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis can have a different perspective on their disease and its impact, compared to physicians . It is thus important to capture the patients’ own experience of living with the disease. The aim of this integrative literature review is to describe how the patients’ perspective is captured and addressed in research of ANCA associated vasculitis.

ObjectivesThe aim was to psychometrically test and evaluate the Swedish functional health literacy scale and the Swedish communicative and critical health literacy scale in patients undergoing bariatric surgery.DesignA prospective cross-sectional psychometric study.SettingPatients from three bariatric centres in Sweden were consecutively included in this study.ParticipantsA total of 704 patients undergoing bariatric surgery filled in the questionnaires preoperatively. Inclusion criteria were scheduled for primary bariatric surgery (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy) and greater than 17 years, proficiency in Swedish.Primary and secondary measuresPsychometric outcomes of the Swedish Functional Health Literacy scale and the Swedish Communicative and Critical Health Literacy scale.ResultsThere was a higher proportion of females (74.4%, n=523) to males (25.6%, n=180). The mean age was 42 years (SD 11.5). Limited functional health literacy and limited communicative and critical health literacy (including both inadequate and problematic health literacy) was reported in 55% (n=390) and 40% (n=285), respectively. Cronbach alpha for the Swedish Functional Health Literacy scale was α=0.86 and for the Swedish Communicative and Critical Health Literacy scale, α=0.87. Construct validity showed weak to negative correlations between the Swedish Functional Health Literacy scale and income, education and SF-36/RAND36 summary scores. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a one-factor solution for the Swedish Functional Health Literacy scale and a two-factor solution for the Swedish Communicative and Critical Health Literacy scale.ConclusionsThe Swedish Functional Health Literacy scale and the Swedish Communicative and Critical Health Literacy scale are valid and reliable to use for patients undergoing bariatric surgery in a Swedish context. Measuring dimensions of health literacy can be used as a guide for the development of health literacy friendly patient information in patients undergoing bariatric surgery.

Background To enable safe and successful recovery for surgery patients, nurses working in post-anaesthesia care units need competence in postoperative care. No consensus defines what this specific competence includes, and it has not been studied from the perspective of nurses working in post-anaesthesia care units. The aim of this study is twofold: 1) To explore and describe nurses’ perception of the competence needed to work in post-anaesthesia care units. 2) To explore and describe nurses’ perception of what characterizes an expert nurse in post-anaesthesia care units. Methods This qualitative inductive study uses individual interviews. Sixteen nurses were recruited from two post-anaesthesia care units located in different parts of Sweden. Inclusion criteria were nurses employed in the post-anaesthesia care units for ≥1 years. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted; data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results The interview analysis identified six subthemes and three themes. The themes being adaptable in an ever-changing environment and creating safe care represent the overarching meaning of competence required when working as a nurse in a Swedish post-anaesthesia care unit. Nurses must possess various technical and nontechnical skills, which are core competences that are described in the sub-themes. The theme seeing the bigger picture describes the nurse’s perception of an expert nurse in the post-anaesthesia care unit. Conclusions Nurse competence in post-anaesthesia care units entails specific knowledge, acknowledging the patient, and working proactively at a fast pace with the patient and team to provide safe, high-quality care. An expert nurse in post-anaesthesia care units can see the bigger picture, helping share knowledge and develop post-anaesthesia care. The expert competence to see a bigger picture can be used in supervising novices and creating a knowledge base for postgraduate education in order to promote safe, high-quality post-anaesthesia care.

BackgroundHealth inequities arise when the public cannot access and understand health information in an easy, accessible, and understandable way. Evidence supports that health literacy (HL) is a determinant for health outcomes, and when HL is limited this may have a major impact on morbidity as well as mortality. Migrants are known to have limited HL. Therefore, this study aimed to explore comprehensive health literacy (CHL) and electronic health literacy (eHL) among Arabic-speaking migrants in Sweden.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional observational study conducted in Sweden. A total of 703 persons were invited to participate between February and September 2019. Two questionnaires – the Health Literacy Survey European Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q16) and the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) – and questions about self-perceived health and Internet use were distributed in Swedish and Arabic. Various statistical analyses were performed to determine the associations for limited CHL and eHL.ResultsA total of 681 respondents were included in the analysis. Of these, 334 (49%) were native Arabic-speaking migrants and 347 (51%) were native Swedish-speaking residents. CHL and eHL differed between the groups. The Arabic speakers had significantly lower mean sum scores in eHL 28.1 (SD 6.1) vs 29.3 (6.2),p = 0.012 and lower proportion of sufficient CHL 125 (38.9%) vs 239 (71.3%),p p< 0.01).ConclusionsCHL and eHL differ between Arabic-speaking migrants and native Swedish speakers, but also between Arabic speakers who have lived different lengths of time in Sweden. Though it seems that the eHealth literacy is less affected by language spoken, the Internet is suggested to be an appropriate channel for disseminating health information to Arabic-speaking migrants.

BACKGROUND Health information is often communicated through the internet. It is vital for the end user to have a range of digital skills as well as understand the information to promote their health. There is a valid and reliable 8-item instrument, the Electronic Health Literacy Scale (eHEALS), that evaluates these skills. The number of Arabic-speaking people migrating to Sweden and to other parts of the world is increasing due to unstable military and political situations in their countries of origin. Poor health and limited health literacy have been described in this population in Sweden. Still, to our knowledge, an Arabic version of eHEALS has not been tested for validity or reliability. Thus, Arabic-speaking populations in Sweden cannot be included in studies measuring eHealth literacy, which does not support equal treatment in health care. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to translate and adapt the original English eHEALS version into Arabic and to evaluate its psychometric properties. METHODS The eHEALS was rigorously translated, adapted, and evaluated for content validity. We conducted prospective psychometric evaluation with natively Arabic-speaking participants living in Sweden. Construct validity, factor structure, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability were evaluated using Spearman correlation, principal component analysis, Cronbach α, and weighted quadratic Cohen κ, respectively. RESULTS The study population consisted of Arabic-speaking participants (n=298; age: mean 41.8 years, SD 10.5). Construct validity was supported with weak and moderate correlations. Principal component factor analysis revealed a one-factor structure. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach α=0.92); test-retest reliability was acceptable (weighted quadratic Cohen κ=0.76). Evaluation indicated that eHealth literacy threshold values should be dichotomized (limited and sufficient) rather than trichotomized (inadequate, problematic, and sufficient). CONCLUSIONS The Arabic version of eHEALS, a unidimensional scale that is valid and reliable for measuring eHealth literacy among natively Arabic-speaking people in Sweden, was found to be acceptable and feasible in a general population.

Background Health information is often communicated through the internet. It is vital for the end user to have a range of digital skills as well as understand the information to promote their health. There is a valid and reliable 8-item instrument, the Electronic Health Literacy Scale (eHEALS), that evaluates these skills. The number of Arabic-speaking people migrating to Sweden and to other parts of the world is increasing due to unstable military and political situations in their countries of origin. Poor health and limited health literacy have been described in this population in Sweden. Still, to our knowledge, an Arabic version of eHEALS has not been tested for validity or reliability. Thus, Arabic-speaking populations in Sweden cannot be included in studies measuring eHealth literacy, which does not support equal treatment in health care. Objective The aim of this study was to translate and adapt the original English eHEALS version into Arabic and to evaluate its psychometric properties. Methods The eHEALS was rigorously translated, adapted, and evaluated for content validity. We conducted prospective psychometric evaluation with natively Arabic-speaking participants living in Sweden. Construct validity, factor structure, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability were evaluated using Spearman correlation, principal component analysis, Cronbach α, and weighted quadratic Cohen κ, respectively. Results The study population consisted of Arabic-speaking participants (n=298; age: mean 41.8 years, SD 10.5). Construct validity was supported with weak and moderate correlations. Principal component factor analysis revealed a one-factor structure. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach α=0.92); test-retest reliability was acceptable (weighted quadratic Cohen κ=0.76). Evaluation indicated that eHealth literacy threshold values should be dichotomized (limited and sufficient) rather than trichotomized (inadequate, problematic, and sufficient). Conclusions The Arabic version of eHEALS, a unidimensional scale that is valid and reliable for measuring eHealth literacy among natively Arabic-speaking people in Sweden, was found to be acceptable and feasible in a general population.

BACKGROUND The frequency and timing of assessing patient symptoms and discomfort during postoperative recovery are goals. Therefore, real-time recovery evaluation has been suggested to identify specific deficits in patient recovery. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to psychometrically evaluate the Swedish Web Version of the Quality of Recovery (SwQoR) Scale adapted for patients undergoing local and peripheral nerve block (SwQoR-LA). METHODS This was a secondary analysis of a psychometric evaluation of 107 patients aged ≥18 years undergoing day surgery under local or peripheral nerve block anesthesia at 4 different day surgery departments in Sweden. The SwQoR-LA, available through a mobile app called Recovery Assessment by Phone Points (RAPP), was completed daily on postoperative days 1-7. RESULTS Some evidence of construct validity was supported, and discriminant validity was found in 7 of 8 items related to general anesthesia. The internal consistency was acceptable (.87-.89), and the split-half reliability was 0.80-0.86. Cohen d effect size was 0.98, and the percentage of change from baseline was 43.4%. No floor nor ceiling effects were found. CONCLUSIONS The SwQoR-LA is valid, reliable, responsive, and clinically feasible for digital real-time recovery assessment of patient recovery to identify specific deficits in patient recovery and detect those patients who might benefit from a timely intervention. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02492191; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02492191 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-10.1136/bmjopen-2015-009901

Background To enhance the efficacy of information and communication, health care has increasingly turned to digitalization. Electronic health (eHealth) is an important factor that influences the use and receipt of benefits from Web-based health resources. Consequently, the concept of eHealth literacy has emerged, and in 2006 Norman and Skinner developed an 8-item self-report instrument to measure these skills: the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS). However, the eHEALS has not been tested for reliability and validity in the general Swedish population and no threshold values have been established. Objective The aim of this study was to translate and adapt eHEALS into a Swedish version; evaluate convergent validity and psychometric properties; and determine threshold levels for inadequate, problematic, and sufficient eHealth literacy. Methods Prospective psychometric evaluation study included 323 participants equally distributed between sexes with a mean age of 49 years recruited from 12 different arenas. Results There were some difficulties translating the English concept health resources. This resulted in this concept being translated as health information (ie, Hälsoinformation in Swedish). The eHEALS total score was 29.3 (SD 6.2), Cronbach alpha .94, Spearman-Brown coefficient .96, and response rate 94.6%. All a priori hypotheses were confirmed, supporting convergent validity. The test-retest reliability indicated an almost perfect agreement, .86 (P Conclusions The Swedish version of eHEALS was assessed as being unidimensional with high internal consistency of the instrument, making the reliability adequate. Adapted threshold levels for inadequate, problematic, and sufficient levels of eHealth literacy seem to be relevant. However, there are some linguistic issues relating to the concept of health resources.

Purpose The aim of this research project was to describe the education, competence, and role of nurses working in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) in 11 countries having an established perianesthesia specialty nursing organization and membership on the International Collaboration of PeriAnaesthesia Nurses, Inc (ICPAN) Global Advisory Council (GAC). Design This is a descriptive international cross-sectional study. Methods A Web-based survey was distributed to members of the ICPAN GAC to be completed by the GAC representative or another expert perianesthesia nurse member from the organization (n = 11). The GAC has one representative from the following 11 ICPAN organizational members: ACPAN, Australian College of PeriAnaesthesia Nurses (Australia); BRV, Beroepsvereniging Recovery Verpleegkundigen (Belgium/The Netherlands); NAPANc, National Association of PeriAnesthesia Nurses of Canada (Canada); FSAIO, The Danish Association of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Recovery Nurses (Denmark); FANA, Finnish Association of Nurse Anaesthetists (Finland); Hellenic Perianesthesia Nursing Organization (Greece); IARNA, Irish Anaesthetic and Recovery Nurses Association (Ireland); PNC of NZNO, Perioperative Nurses College of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (New Zealand); ANIVA, Swedish Association of Nurse Anesthetists and Intensive Care Nurses (Sweden); BARNA, British Anaesthetic and Recovery Nurses Association (United Kingdom); and ASPAN, American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses (USA). Findings Perianesthesia nursing was recognized as a professional nursing specialty in 6 of 11 countries, and 8 of 11 have established national guidelines or practice standards for perianesthesia nurses. The Netherlands, Ireland, and Australia are the only countries that have a formal education program for perianesthesia nurses. There were variations in nurse-to-patient ratios between the 11 countries, ranging from 2:1 to 1:3 in the Phase I recovery of critically ill patients; in Phase II recovery (day surgery) it was most common to have up to three to four patients per nurse. Perianesthesia nurses were mainly the only profession stationed in the PACU, with professions such as the anesthesiologist and surgeon on call. The nurses performed many job tasks autonomously; however, this differed between countries. Conclusions Perianesthesia nurse education, clinical guidelines, other professions working in the PACU, and job tasks differ between countries. This knowledge can be used in international collaboration to further develop education and training for nurses working in the PACU. Continued international perianesthesia nursing partnership can only bring us closer and strengthen our specialty practice with the focus not on our differences but on our common denominators.

BACKGROUND Electronic health is an important factor that influences the use and receipt of benefits from web-based health resources. Consequently, the concept of eHealth literacy has emerged and in 2006 Norman and Skinner developed an 8-item self-report eHealth literacy scale to measure these skills: the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS). However, the eHEALS has not been tested for validity in the general Swedish population. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to translate and adapt the eHEALS into a Swedish version and to evaluate its psychometric properties. METHODS Prospective psychometric evaluation study including 323 participants equally distributed between sex and with a mean age of 49 years. RESULTS There were some difficulties translating the English concept Health resources. This resulted in this concept being translated as Health information, i.e. Hälsoinformation in Swedish. The eHEALS total score was 29.3 (SD 6.2), Cronbach’s alpha 0.94, Spearman-Brown coefficient 0.96 and with a high responsiveness of 94.6%. All a priori hypotheses were confirmed, supporting convergent validity. The test-retest reliability indicated an almost perfect agreement, 0.86 (p< 0.001). An exploratory factor analysis found one component explaining 69% of the total variance. No floor or ceiling effect was noted. CONCLUSIONS The Swedish version of eHEALS was assessed as being unidimensional and the internal consistency of the instrument high, making the reliability adequate. However, there are some linguistic issues relating to the concept of Health resources.

IntroductionEquity in health and access to healthcare regardless of gender, ethnicity or social position is a major political issue worldwide. Regardless of an individual’s knowledge, motivation and competence, individuals are expected to be engaged and take responsibility of their own care. Migrants have been identified as a vulnerable population in healthcare, and an explanation for the inequity in health and in healthcare is limited health literacy. Furthermore, with increasing digitalisation in healthcare, it also puts demand on the individual to have digital or electronic health (eHealth) literacy.The overall aim of this study is to conduct a psychometric evaluation of the Swedish and Arabic versions of HLS-EU-Q16 and eHEALS and to compare Arabic and Swedish speakers’ Health literacy and eHealth literacy levels in Sweden.Methods and analysisThis is a prospective, psychometric evaluation study with the intent of including 300 Arabic-speaking and 300 Swedish-speaking participants. Questionnaires: The Health Literacy Survey European Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q16) includes 16 items measuring perceived personal skills of finding, understanding, judging and applying health information to maintain and improve their health. The eHealth literacy scale (eHEALS) is an 8-item scale measuring health literacy skills in relation to online information and applications.This study will be conducted in four phases. Phase 1: Translation of HLS-EU-Q16 and eHEALS from English to Swedish and Arabic versions following the principles of translation of questionnaires. Phase 2: Content validity testing of eHEALS, including face validity and interpretability, conducted with five Arabic and five Swedish-speaking participants. Phase 3: Psychometric testing including construct validity, reliability, feasibility and floor ceiling effects. Phase 4: Distribution and comparison of eHealth and HLS-EU-Q16 analysed with χ2and Fisher’s exact test as appropriate. To assess associations between HLS-EU-Q16, eHEALS and demographic variables, binary logistic regression analyses will be performed.Ethics and disseminationThe project has been approved by the regional ethical review board in Stockholm, Sweden (2019/5:1) and will follow the principles outlined in the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments. Results from this study will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences and social media.

Day surgical procedures are increasing both in Sweden and internationally. Day surgery patients prepare for and handle their recovery on their own at home. The aim of this study was to investigate patients’ preoperative mental and physical health and its association with the quality of their recovery after day surgery. This was a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial. Data were collected at four-day surgery units in Sweden. Health-related quality of life was measured using the Short Form 36 (SF-36) Health Survey, and postoperative recovery was assessed using the Swedish web version of the Quality of Recovery (SwQoR) scale. This study included 756-day surgery patients. A low, compared with a high, preoperative mental component score was associated with poorer recovery as shown by responses to 21/24 and 22/24 SwQoR items, respectively, on postoperative days (PODs) 7 and 14. A low compared with a high preoperative physical component score was associated with poorer recovery in 18/24 SwQoR items on POD 7 and 13/24 on POD 14. A clear message from this study is for surgeons, anaesthetists and nurses to consider the fact that postoperative recovery largely depends on patients’ preoperative mental and psychical status. A serious attempt must be made, as a part of the routine preoperative assessment, to assess and document not only the physical but also the mental status of patients undergoing anaesthesia and surgery. Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT0249219.

Background The frequency and timing of assessing patient symptoms and discomfort during postoperative recovery are goals. Therefore, real-time recovery evaluation has been suggested to identify specific deficits in patient recovery. Objective This study aimed to psychometrically evaluate the Swedish Web Version of the Quality of Recovery (SwQoR) Scale adapted for patients undergoing local and peripheral nerve block (SwQoR-LA). Methods This was a secondary analysis of a psychometric evaluation of 107 patients aged ≥18 years undergoing day surgery under local or peripheral nerve block anesthesia at 4 different day surgery departments in Sweden. The SwQoR-LA, available through a mobile app called Recovery Assessment by Phone Points (RAPP), was completed daily on postoperative days 1-7. Results Some evidence of construct validity was supported, and discriminant validity was found in 7 of 8 items related to general anesthesia. The internal consistency was acceptable (.87-.89), and the split-half reliability was 0.80-0.86. Cohen d effect size was 0.98, and the percentage of change from baseline was 43.4%. No floor nor ceiling effects were found. Conclusions The SwQoR-LA is valid, reliable, responsive, and clinically feasible for digital real-time recovery assessment of patient recovery to identify specific deficits in patient recovery and detect those patients who might benefit from a timely intervention. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02492191; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02492191 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) RR2-10.1136/bmjopen-2015-009901

Patients undergoing day surgery are expected to manage their recovery on their own. Follow-up routines differ, but many patients have expressed a need for more professional support during recovery. The aim of this study was to describe how many follow-up contacts were initiated, and when and why, via a digital solution. Also, we wanted to compare postoperative recovery and characteristics between patients requesting, and patients not requesting, contact.This was a secondary analysis of a multicenter, two-group, parallel randomized controlled trial. Participants used a digital solution called "Recovery Assessment by Phone Points (RAPP)" for initiating follow-up contacts after day surgery. The quality of postoperative recovery was measured with the Swedish web-version of Quality of Recovery.Of 494 patients, 84 (17%) initiated contact via RAPP. The most common reasons for initiating contact were related to the surgical wound and pain. Contacts were initiated across the 14-day assessment period, with 62% (62/100) in the first postoperative week. The RAPP contact group had significantly poorer postoperative recovery on days 1-14 compared to those not requesting contact via RAPP (p 0.001). There was a significantly higher proportion of patients who had undergone general anesthesia in the RAPP contact group (85% [71/84]) compared to the non-RAPP contact group (71% [291/410]), p = 0.003.Letting the patient decide him/herself whether, and when, contact and support is needed during the postoperative period, is possible and does not increase the frequency of contacts. This study investigates a digital solution, RAPP, as one example of a person-centered approach that can be implemented in day surgery follow-up.

To investigate differences and describe experiences of postoperative recovery after day surgery between patients undergoing general anesthesia (GA) versus regional anesthesia (RA).A mixed methods design.Day surgery patients (N = 401) were included. Postoperative recovery was assessed daily for 14 days using the Swedish Web Version of the Quality of Recovery questionnaire included in a mobile application. In addition, qualitative interviews were completed with 20 day surgery patients. Quantitative and qualitative data were first analyzed separately and then merged.There were significant differences in Swedish Web Version of the Quality of Recovery between GA and RA on days 1 to 13 (P .05). These findings could not be confirmed in the qualitative findings, except for psychological issues as well as tiredness and fatigue. Unexpected issues contributed to a greater extent to the theme not feeling well. Pain in the surgical wound was overall the biggest problem.There seems to be a poorer recovery after GA compared with RA. Tiredness or fatigue is present also after minor surgery in RA. Unexpected issues affect recovery negatively, and therefore should be addressed by health care.

Day surgery puts demands on the patients to manage their own recovery at home according to given instructions. Low health literacy levels are shown to be associated with poorer health outcomes.To describe functional health literacy levels among patients in Sweden undergoing day surgery and to describe the association between functional health literacy (FHL) and health care contacts, quality of recovery (SwQoR), and health-related quality of life.This observational study was part of a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial of patients undergoing day surgery and was performed in multiple centers from October 2015 to July 2016 and included 704 patients.The primary end point was SwQoR in the FHL groups 14 days after surgery. Secondary end points were health care contacts, EuroQol-visual analog scales, and the Short Form (36) Health Survey in the FHL groups.Of 704 patients (418 [59.4%] women; mean [SD] age with inadequate or problematic FHL levels, 47 [16] years and 49 [15.1], respectively), 427 (60.7%) reported sufficient FHL, 223 (31.7%) problematic FHL, and 54 (7.7%) inadequate FHL. The global score of SwQoR indicated poor recovery in both inadequate (37.4) and problematic (22.9) FHL. There was a statistically significant difference in the global score of SwQoR (SD) between inadequate (37.4 [34.7]) and sufficient FHL (17.7 [21.0]) (P .001). The patients with inadequate or problematic FHL had a lower health-related quality of life than the patients with sufficient FHL in terms of EuroQol-visual analog scale scores (mean [SD], 73 [19.1], 73 [19.1], and 78 [17.4], respectively; P = .008), physical function (mean [SD], 72 [22.7], 75 [23.8], and 81 [21.9], respectively; P .001), bodily pain (mean [SD], 51 [28.7], 53 [27.4], and 61 [27.0], respectively; P = .001), vitality (mean [SD], 50 [26.7], 56 [23.5], and 62 [25.4], respectively; P .001), social functioning (mean [SD], 73 [28.2], 81 [21.8], and 84 [23.3], respectively; P = .004), mental health (mean [SD], 65 [25.4], 73 [21.2], and 77 [21.2], respectively; P .001), and physical component summary (mean [SD], 41 [11.2], 42 [11.3], and 45 [10.1], respectively; P = .004). There were no differences between the FHL groups regarding health care contacts.Inadequate FHL in patients undergoing day surgery was associated with poorer postoperative recovery and a lower health-related quality of life. Health literacy is a relevant factor to consider for optimizing the postoperative recovery in patients undergoing day surgery.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02492191.

BACKGROUND There is an emerging trend to perform surgeries as day surgery. After a day surgery, most of the recovery period takes place at home, and patients are responsible for their own recovery. It has been suggested that electronic health (eHealth) technologies can support patients in this process. A mobile app has recently been developed to assess and follow up on postoperative recovery after a day surgery. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to explore experiences associated with postoperative recovery after a day surgery in patients using a mobile app to assess the quality of their recovery. METHODS This is a qualitative interview study with an explorative and descriptive design. Participants were recruited from 4 different day surgery units in different parts of Sweden. The study included 18 participants aged >17 years who had undergone day surgery and used the Recovery Assessment by Phone Points, a mobile app for follow-up on postoperative recovery after day surgery. Participants were purposively selected to ensure maximum variation. Semistructured individual interviews were conducted. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS A total of two themes and six subthemes emerged from the data: (1) the theme Give it all you’ve got with the subthemes Believing in own capacity, Being prepared, and Taking action, where participants described their possibilities of participating and themselves contributing to improving their postoperative recovery; and (2) the theme The importance of feeling safe and sound with the subthemes Feeling safe and reassured, Not being acknowledged, and Not being left alone, which describe the importance of support from health care professionals and next of kin. CONCLUSIONS It is important that patients feel safe, reassured, and acknowledged during their postoperative recovery. They can achieve this themselves with sufficient support and information from the health care organization and their next of kin. Using a mobile app, both for assessment and to enable contact with the day surgery unit during the postoperative recovery period, can improve care and create a feeling of not being alone after surgery. We propose that postoperative recovery starts in the prerecovery phase when patients prepare for their recovery to get the best possible outcome from their surgery.

Background: Previous studies have shown that women tend to have a poorer postanesthesia recovery than men. Our research group has developed a mobile phone app called Recovery Assessment by Phone Points (RAPP) that includes the Swedish Web version of the Quality of Recovery (SwQoR) questionnaire to monitor and assess postoperative recovery. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate sex differences in postoperative recovery and the number of health care contacts within 14 postoperative days in a cohort of day-surgery patients using RAPP. Methods: This study was a secondary analysis from a single-blind randomized controlled trial. Therefore, we did not calculate an a priori sample size regarding sex differences. We conducted the study at 4 day-surgery settings in Sweden from October 2015 to July 2016. Included were 494 patients (220 male and 274 female participants) undergoing day surgery. The patients self-assessed their postoperative recovery for 14 postoperative days using the RAPP. Results: There were no significant sex differences in postoperative recovery or the number of health care contacts. Subgroup analysis showed that women younger than 45 years reported significantly higher global scores in the SwQoR questionnaire (hence a poorer recovery) on postoperative days 1 to 10 than did women who were 45 years of age or older (P=.001 to P=.008). Men younger than 45 years reported significantly higher global scores on postoperative days 2 to 6 than did men 45 years of age or older (P=.001 to P=.006). Sex differences in postoperative recovery were not significant between the age groups. Conclusions: This study found sex similarities in postoperative recovery and the number of health care contacts. However, subgroup analysis showed that age might be an independent factor for poorer recovery in both women and men. This knowledge can be used when informing patients what to expect after discharge. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02492191; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02492191 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6y2UtMbvz) [JMIR Perioper Med 2018;1(1):e2]

BACKGROUND Previous studies have shown that women tend to have a poorer postanesthesia recovery than men. Our research group has developed a mobile phone app called Recovery Assessment by Phone Points (RAPP) that includes the Swedish Web version of the Quality of Recovery (SwQoR) questionnaire to monitor and assess postoperative recovery. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate sex differences in postoperative recovery and the number of health care contacts within 14 postoperative days in a cohort of day-surgery patients using RAPP. METHODS This study was a secondary analysis from a single-blind randomized controlled trial. Therefore, we did not calculate an a priori sample size regarding sex differences. We conducted the study at 4 day-surgery settings in Sweden from October 2015 to July 2016. Included were 494 patients (220 male and 274 female participants) undergoing day surgery. The patients self-assessed their postoperative recovery for 14 postoperative days using the RAPP. RESULTS There were no significant sex differences in postoperative recovery or the number of health care contacts. Subgroup analysis showed that women younger than 45 years reported significantly higher global scores in the SwQoR questionnaire (hence a poorer recovery) on postoperative days 1 to 10 than did women who were 45 years of age or older (P=.001 to P=.008). Men younger than 45 years reported significantly higher global scores on postoperative days 2 to 6 than did men 45 years of age or older (P=.001 to P=.006). Sex differences in postoperative recovery were not significant between the age groups. CONCLUSIONS This study found sex similarities in postoperative recovery and the number of health care contacts. However, subgroup analysis showed that age might be an independent factor for poorer recovery in both women and men. This knowledge can be used when informing patients what to expect after discharge. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02492191; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02492191 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6y2UtMbvz)

BACKGROUND The 40-item Quality of Recovery (QoR-40) questionnaire is well validated for measuring self-assessed postoperative recovery. The Swedish version of the 40-item Quality of Recovery (QoR-40) has been developed into a Web-based questionnaire, the Swedish Web version of the Quality of Recovery (SwQoR) questionnaire, adapted for use in a mobile app, Recovery Assessment by Phone Points, or RAPP. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to test the validity, reliability, responsiveness, and clinical acceptability and feasibility of SwQoR. METHODS We conducted a prospective psychometric evaluation study including 494 patients aged ≥18 years undergoing day surgery at 4 different day-surgery departments in Sweden. SwQoR was completed daily on postoperative days 1 to 14. RESULTS All a priori hypotheses were confirmed, supporting convergent validity. There was excellent internal consistency (Cronbach alpha range .91-.93), split-half reliability (coefficient range .87-.93), and stability (ri=.99, 95% CI .96-.99; P CONCLUSIONS SwQoR is valid, has excellent reliability and high responsiveness, and is clinically feasible for the systematic follow-up of patients’ postoperative recovery.

Background: The majority of all surgeries are performed on an outpatient basis (day surgery). The Recovery Assessment by Phone Points (RAPP) app is an app for the Swedish Web-version of Quality of Recovery (SwQoR), developed to assess and follow-up on postoperative recovery after day surgery. Objectives: The objectives of this study are (1) to estimate the extent to which the paper and app versions of the SwQoR provide equivalent values; (2) to contribute evidence as to the feasibility and acceptability of a mobile phone Web-based app for measuring postoperative recovery after day surgery and enabling contact with a nurse; and (3) to contribute evidence as to the content validity of the SwQoR. Methods: Equivalence between the paper and app versions of the SwQoR was measured using a randomized crossover design, in which participants used both the paper and app version. Feasibility and acceptability was evaluated by a questionnaire containing 16 questions regarding the value of the app for follow-up care after day surgery. Content validity evaluation was based on responses by day surgery patients and the staff of the day surgery department. Results: A total of 69 participants completed the evaluation of equivalence between the paper and app versions of the SwQoR. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for the SwQoR was .89 (95% CI 0.83-0.93) and .13 to .90 for the items. Of the participants, 63 continued testing the app after discharge and completed the follow-up questionnaire. The median score was 69 (inter-quartile range, IQR 66-73), indicating a positive attitude toward using an app for follow-up after day surgery. A total of 18 patients and 12 staff members participated in the content validity evaluation. The item-level content validity index (I-CVI) for the staff group was in the 0.64 to 1.0 range, with a scale-level content validity index (S-CVI) of 0.88. For the patient group, I-CVI was in the range 0.30 to 0.92 and S-CVI was 0.67. The content validity evaluation of the SwQoR, together with three new items, led to a reduction from 34 to 24 items. Conclusions: Day surgery patients had positive attitudes toward using the app for follow-up after surgery, and stated a preference for using the app again if they were admitted for a future day surgery procedure. Equivalence between the app and paper version of the SwQoR was found, but at the item level, the ICC was less than .7 for 9 items. In the content validity evaluation of the SwQoR, staff found more items relevant than the patients, and no items found relevant by either staff or patients were excluded when revising the SwQoR. [JMIR Res Protoc 2016;5(3):e192]