Patient satisfaction with short stays for radical prostatectomy.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the effects on patient satisfaction of shortened postoperative hospital stays after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP). METHODS: A previously validated, self-administered instrument was used to assess satisfaction with care in a retrospective, cross-sectional study of 129 men who had undergone RRP after implementation of a short-stay clinical care pathway. Health-related quality of life outcomes, comorbidity, and sociodemographic data were also measured with established instruments. RESULTS: Satisfaction with care was uniformly high and did not vary with length of stay (LOS), time since surgery, or health-related quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Decreased LOS mandated by the need for a cost-efficiency path does not adversely affect patient satisfaction.