Reminding the Health Team About What Companions of the Patients Undergoing Gynecological Surgery Should Know: A Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND: Patients’ family members often do not receive sufficient information, especially because the reproductive system of women is considered a taboo, providing information becomes problematic. The aim of the current study was to explore the informational-educational needs of companions of the patients who were undergoing gynecological surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted using inductive and conventional content analysis method. For data collection, 34 semi-structured in-depth interviews were performed at a gynecology and obstetrics center with purposeful sampling and maximum variation. The participants included patients’ companions, nurses, physicians, patients, and service personnel. RESULTS: Qualitative content analysis extracted 8 categories, 2 main categories of “Informational needs of companions” and “Educational needs of companions” and a final theme of “the need for knowing.” CONCLUSIONS: According to the results, “the need for knowing” is one of the most important needs of the patients’ companions during hospitalization. Knowing companions’ needs in the hospital and understanding its deficiencies would assist health care professionals, especially authorities, in providing high-quality care and developing programs to meet the informational needs of patients’ companions.