Background: Surgeons, other healthcare professionals, and patients may identify different health-related concerns related to the quality of life of patients undergoing major surgery.
Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with surgeons (n =14), other healthcare professionals (n =19), and patients undergoing major elective surgery (n = 52). Themes were extracted by content analysis and organized into major domains. The frequencies with which specific themes were mentioned were compared among groups.
Results: A total of 85 themes were extracted from the interviews, 15 of which were mentioned by 50% or more of participants in each group, representing 5 of the 6 domains. The greatest differences were observed in the domains of social well-being, wherein 5 themes were mentioned less often by surgeons than other groups, and spiritual well-being, wherein 2 themes were mentioned more often by patients than other groups. Differences in the physical, emotional, cognitive preparation, and concern about quality of care domains were minimal.
Conclusions: Surgeons, other healthcare professionals, and patients identified many similar concerns related to the well-being of patients undergoing major surgery. However, the importance of social and spiritual themes to patients may be underestimated by surgeons.