Empowering orthopaedic patients through preadmission education: results from a clinical study

To determine whether it is possible to increase patients' knowledge and certainty about care-related issues, to reach a more empowering learning experience and to exercise a more positive impact on selected clinical outcomes by means of additional preadmission education (education using the concept map method added to standard preadmission education) than by means of standard preadmission education (written educational material with non-systematic oral education).

Elective hip arthroplasty patients were randomized into group A (n=62), who received preadmission education using the concept map method with written educational material; and group B (n=61), who received the written educational material and non-systematic oral education. Data were collected from both groups 4 weeks prior to hospital admission, at admission and at discharge using questionnaires.

In the first post-test at admission, group A had significantly better knowledge and certainty of care-related issues than group B. Group A also reported a significantly more positive learning experience than patients in group B. In the second post-test at discharge, patients in group A still had better knowledge and certainty of care-related issues than patients in group B.

Preadmission education using the concept map method and written educational material seems to yield better learning results than the use of written educational material with non-systematic oral education.

Empowering preadmission education using the concept map method is beneficial for patients.