Parental readiness for discharge in day surgery children: current status and associated factors.

Abstract

Background: Enhancing parental readiness for hospital discharge is critical for optimizing postoperative outcomes in pediatric day surgery. However, current evidence regarding the discharge preparedness of parents in this context remains insufficient. This study aimed to assess the status of parental readiness for discharge of day surgery children and identify its key influencing factors.

Methods: Parents of the day surgery children at our hospital from February 2024 to February 2025 were included in this study. We utilized the Discharge Readiness Scale to assess the study participants, examining their discharge readiness scores and identifying associated influencing factors.

Results: A total of 252 parents of day surgery children were included. The overall discharge readiness score among these parents was 235.18±30.66. Correlation analysis revealed significant associations between parental discharge readiness and several factors: the child's previous history of having day surgery (r=0.590), the parent's educational level (r=0.632), place of residence (r=0.592), and personal monthly income (r=0.606) (all P<0.05). Multiple linear regression found that the child's previous history of having day surgery, the parent's educational level, place of residence, and personal monthly income were influencing factors of parental discharge readiness in day surgery children (all P<0.05).

Conclusions: The discharge readiness of parents of day surgery children is at a moderate level. Healthcare providers should implement targeted pre-discharge guidance and continuity of care to enhance parental confidence and improve their discharge readiness.