LAUSR

INTRODUCTION A short hospital stay makes discharge planning services especially critical for patients undergoing cataract surgery. Studies on discharge teaching quality, discharge readiness, and post-discharge outcomes for patients are lacking with cataracts. Our study aimed to explore the relationships between the perceived discharge teaching quality, discharge readiness, and post-discharge outcomes of cataract surgery patients and to conduct a differential analysis between inpatient and day ward patients. METHODS We recruited 387 patients from the ophthalmology ward of a top-tier hospital in western China through convenience sampling. Data were collected on the day of discharge and at 2 weeks post-discharge. Statistical methods included multiple linear regression analysis, chi-square test, and the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS Regression models indicated that discharge teaching quality was the key factor of discharge readiness, while post-discharge outcomes were influenced by discharge readiness and discharge teaching quality. Further, inpatients' discharge teaching quality, discharge readiness, and post-discharge subjective feelings were better than those of day ward patients. CONCLUSIONS The effect of discharge planning services on patients undergoing cataract surgery was generally satisfactory. High-quality discharge teaching can enhance patients' discharge readiness, further improving their post-discharge outcomes. When conducting discharge teaching, day ward medical staff should pay more attention to patients' demands and explore a more effective teaching delivery method.