Patient desire for information before a total hip-replacement operation

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Patient Information
• Healthcare Communication

Background:

• Effective patient communication is crucial for surgical outcomes.
• Understanding patient information needs pre-operatively enhances the healthcare experience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the information needs of patients before total hip replacement surgery.
• To compare patient-reported information desires with healthcare providers' perceptions.

Main Methods:

• Survey of patients admitted for total hip replacement in Adelaide.
• Survey of doctors regularly treating these patients.
• Analysis of information preferences and provider perceptions.

Main Results:

• Most patients desired extensive information covering all aspects of surgery and postoperative care.
• Hospital doctors were the primary source of information for patients.
• Doctors significantly underestimated patients' desire for pre-operative information.

Conclusions:

• There is a significant gap between patients' information needs and healthcare providers' perceptions regarding total hip replacement.
• Improving pre-operative patient education is essential for better patient care and satisfaction.
• Healthcare providers should be more attuned to the comprehensive information needs of surgical patients.