King's College London

Being on a waiting list for heart surgery could be difficult and anxiety-provoking. Having a better understanding of patients’ experiences during this time, and what their preferences are for their upcoming surgery, might help to alleviate the emotional burden associated with waiting. This could also improve the management of waiting lists for heart surgery.

Previous research on patients’ experiences of waiting for surgery has shown that factors, such as individual coping strategies (e.g. distraction from distressing thoughts, acceptance of the situation), clear communication with the clinical team, or having a more active role in care decision-making, can reduce the stress associated with waiting.

Although this is very relevant to patients waiting for heart surgery, there has not been a study specifically looking at this group of patients.

King's Improvement Science researchers aim to address this gap by exploring experiences, perceptions and preferences of patients waiting for elective (non-emergency) heart surgery across four London-based National Health Service hospitals that belong to King’s Health Partners: Royal Brompton, Harefield, St Thomas’, and King’s College hospitals.

Please visit the King's Improvement Science website for more information on this project.