Patients' evaluation of a teaching booklet for arterial bypass surgery

A descriptive survey was conducted at an urban university medical center to ascertain the opinions of patients undergoing vascular surgery to a booklet used for preoperative teaching. In the postoperative period 21 patients reported their perceived value of the booklet in modifying their feelings about the surgical event, helping them to feel in control of postoperative pain, preparing them to participate in postoperative activities, and providing them with overall preoperative preparation. Patients also identified needs that the booklet did not meet and suggested modifications that might better meet patients' preoperative learning needs. Ninety percent of responding patients described the booklet as helpful in meeting their preoperative learning needs, and 95% said they would recommend the booklet to a friend. Patients who had discussed the booklet with a health-team member consistently described the value of the booklet more favorably than did patients who had not discussed the booklet before surgery. Nurses were identified as the health-team members who most often discussed the content of the booklet with the patient. The findings suggest that patients with no education beyond grammar school might have difficulty appreciating the value of the preoperative teaching booklet.