Time to readiness for discharge is a valid and reliable measure of short-term recovery after colorectal surgery

Abstract

Background: Short-term recovery after colorectal surgery has been traditionally investigated through length of stay (LOS). However, this measure is influenced by several confounding factors. This study aimed to investigate the construct validity and reliability of assessing the time to achieve standardized discharge criteria (time to readiness for discharge, or TRD) as a measure of short-term recovery. In a secondary analysis, we compared sample size requirements for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using TRD or LOS as outcome measures. Methods: Seventy patients participated in the construct validity study and 21 patients participated in the reliability study. TRD was defined as the numbe..