A Patient Satisfaction Survey Investigating Pre- and Post-Operative Information Provision in Lower Limb Surgery

Abstract

BackgroundPlanned lower limb surgery is common, with over 90,000 hip replacements, 95,000 knee replacements and 15,000 anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions performed in the UK each year. Patient satisfaction an important element of healthcare provision that is usually measured by functional outcomes but influenced by many other factors. Few studies have assessed patients’ views on the information given to them pertaining surgery and patients are infrequently consulted when designing leaflets and information packs which can lead to confusion during the recovery period and poor long-term outcomes. We aimed to assess if patients were satisfied with the information they received around their operations and identify potential improvements.MethodsSet in a major trauma centre in the West Midlands, a multiple choice and free-text answer survey was administered to patients who used the orthopaedic service over the course of one month. Surveys were designed in Qualtrics and administered face-to-face on paper. Thematic content analysis was performed. ResultsEighty patients completed the survey, of which 88.8% of patients were satisfied with the information they received. Discussions with surgeons were the most useful resource and 53% of patients requested more internet resources. Post-operative patients were statistically more likely to be dissatisfied with information provision. Over 20% of patients requested more information on post-op pain and recovery timelines. ConclusionsAlthough patients were satisfied in general, areas for change were identified. Suggested improvements take the form of webpages, a mobile platform or forum for asking healthcare professionals questions. Extra resources could contain educational videos, patient experiences and an interactive recovery timeline. These suggestions may enable NHS Trusts to “get into the digital age”, however, more research on patient satisfaction around information provision and the impact it has on recovery and decision making is needed.