Ambulatory orthopaedic surgery patients' knowledge with internet-based education

Area of Science:

• Health Sciences
• Medical Education
• Digital Health

Background:

• Growing demand for effective patient education and outcome evaluation.
• Need to assess modern educational methods in healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

• Compare Internet-based education versus face-to-face nurse education for ambulatory orthopaedic surgery patients.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of Internet-based education in increasing patient knowledge and sufficiency of knowledge.
• Examine correlations between demographic variables and patient knowledge.

Main Methods:

• Randomized controlled trial with two groups: experiment (Internet-based, n=72) and control (face-to-face, n=75).
• Data collected using two standardized instruments to measure patient knowledge and sufficiency.
• Analysis of knowledge improvement and correlation with demographic factors.

Main Results:

• Both groups demonstrated knowledge improvement; the Internet-based group showed significantly greater total knowledge increase.
• No significant difference in the sufficiency of knowledge between the Internet-based and face-to-face education groups.
• Patient knowledge levels correlated significantly with age, gender, and prior ambulatory surgeries.

Conclusions:

• Internet-based education yields positive outcomes in enhancing patient knowledge for ambulatory orthopaedic surgery.
• The Internet presents a viable and effective method for patient education in ambulatory care settings.
• Digital health interventions can supplement traditional patient education strategies.