[Assessment of quality of pre- and postoperative information documents about carpal tunnel syndrome]

Before surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome, oral patient information is partially understood and accepted. The objective of this study was to perform a documentation for patients, as recommended by the High Authority in Healthcare (HAS), then to compare the effectiveness of oral information. Our series included 37 patients who received the same information: preoperative shower, pathophysiology, and postoperative instructions. The first 18 (group 1) received only oral information. The following 19 (group 2) received oral, written and visual information. The information in Group 2 followed the methodology of McClune: promoter (Department of Hand Surgery), organizing committee (two teachers from the School of Decorative Arts, two teachers of the School of Medicine), group work (five art students, five medical students), panel of experts (three surgeons, two occupational therapists, one physiotherapist). Four documents were developed: a booklet, a diagram, an animation, a poster. Satisfaction was higher in group 2. Understanding and memorization were better in group 2. Fifty-six percent of patients in group 1 would have liked a paper, 12.5% videos, none went on the Internet. Twelve and a half percent of the patients in group 2 went on the Internet, 18.8% would have liked videos. Our results show that in terms of carpal tunnel syndrome, the written and visual information materials for patients significantly improve the efficacy of oral information. These documents may be extended to other pathologies in Hand Surgery.