Developing a patient information leaflet to improve information offered to patients undergoing appendicectomy

Area of Science:

• Surgery
• Patient Education
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• Appendicectomy is a common surgical procedure.
• A lack of patient information leaflets (PILs) for appendicectomy compromises care standards.
• North Devon District Hospital (NDDH) lacked a dedicated PIL for appendicectomy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the availability of written information for appendicectomy patients.
• To develop and implement an appendicectomy PIL.
• To evaluate the impact of the PIL on information provision using Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) methodology.

Main Methods:

• Baseline audit of patient case notes (January 2013 - October 2014).
• Development of a PIL following standard protocol.
• Implementation of PDSA cycles with interventions including posters, newsletters, and presentations.
• Prospective patient questionnaires to assess PIL usefulness.

Main Results:

• Baseline provision of written information was 17%.
• After PDSA Cycle 1, provision increased to 53%, falling slightly to 46% after Cycle 2.
• 89% of surveyed patients found the PIL helpful.

Conclusions:

• Written information provision for appendicectomy patients is inadequate.
• The developed PIL significantly improved information dissemination initially.
• Sustained staff education is essential for long-term adherence to best practices in patient information delivery.