Impact of Multidisciplinary Continuity of Care on Postoperative Outcomes in Liver Cancer Surgical Patients.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of Multidisciplinary Continuity of Care (MCC) on postoperative outcomes for liver cancer surgical patients compared to routine continuity care.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted involving 103 liver cancer patients who underwent surgical treatment between January 2021 and January 2023. Patients were assigned to groups based on the standard care protocol in effect at the time of their admission: the control group (n=50), admitted before July 2022, received conventional continuity care, while the observation group (n=53), admitted from July 2022 onward, received multidisciplinary continuity care. This temporal allocation strategy reduced selection bias by linking group assignment to hospital-wide protocol updates rather than patient-specific factors. Key outcomes assessed included physiological recovery (measured by the Chang-Hai Pain Scale and ECOG performance status), psychological status (SDS and SAS), self-management ability (ESCA), quality of life (QOL-LC), and postoperative complication rates.

RESULTS

Post-intervention outcomes significantly favored the observation group. Patients demonstrated lower Chang-Hai Pain scores (P<0.05), improved ECOG performance status (P<0.05), reduced SDS and SAS scores (P<0.05), and higher ESCA self-management scores across all dimensions (P<0.05) compared to controls. The observation group also showed superior QOL-LC scores in all domains (psychological, physical, social, and symptom management; P<0.05) and significantly lower complication rates (9.43% vs 26.00%, P<0.05). No significant between-group differences existed pre-intervention for any measure (P>0.05).

CONCLUSION

Implementing MCC in postoperative care for liver cancer patients significantly enhances self-management ability, reduces anxiety/depression, lowers complication risk, and improves physical function and quality of life compared to routine care. MCC demonstrates high clinical value and warrants promotion.