Patient-Specific E-mailed Discharge Instructions Improve Patient Satisfaction and Patient Understanding After...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Patient Education
• Digital Health

Background:

• Traditional preprinted discharge instructions following surgical arthroscopy may not adequately convey procedural details or enhance patient understanding.
• Patient comprehension and satisfaction are critical components of successful surgical recovery and adherence to postoperative care protocols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate whether patient-specific emails, including intraoperative images, improve satisfaction and understanding compared to standard printed discharge instructions after surgical arthroscopy.

Main Methods:

• A prospective randomized trial involved sixty patients undergoing surgical arthroscopy, divided into two groups: one receiving detailed emails with images, the other standard printed instructions.
• Patient satisfaction, understanding, and instruction usefulness were assessed via a 14-question Likert scale survey at 1-week follow-up.
• Nonparametric tests were used to compare outcomes between the email and printed instruction cohorts.

Main Results:

• The email cohort reported significantly higher satisfaction (median 5 vs. 4, P=.002) and greater understanding of their surgery (median 5 vs. 3, P=.001).
• Patients receiving emails found instructions more helpful for recovery (median 5 vs. 3, P=.007) and were more likely to recommend them (median 5 vs. 3, P<.001).
• No significant difference was observed in the frequency of instruction reference between the two groups (median 3 vs. 3, P=.121).

Conclusions:

• Patient-specific discharge emails, particularly those incorporating intraoperative images, represent a superior method for enhancing patient satisfaction and procedural understanding post-surgical arthroscopy.
• This digital communication strategy holds potential for improving patient engagement and optimizing the postoperative experience in orthopedic surgery.