One Size Does Not Fit All; Patient Preference for Breast Reconstruction

A myriad of patient education modalities for breast reconstruction exist, although the optimal tools for patient education remain undetermined. The aim of this study is to determine patient preferences for breast reconstruction education modalities based on demographic variables.

A prospective observational study at a tertiary care university health system was conducted between November 2020 and May 2021. A questionnaire was administered to breast reconstruction patients to collect information on demographics, research sources used before the initial appointment, and preferred education modalities. Differences based on age were analyzed using an independent samples t test, whereas a Fisher exact test was used to analyze differences based on ethnicity and education level. Statistical significance was defined as P < .05.

The most preferred patient education tools overall were books/written materials and videos. Younger patients were significantly more likely than older patients to have referenced additional physician sources (P = .0174) and to seek out information on the institution's website (P = .0465). Those with a college degree were significantly more likely to have performed research prior to the initial appointment (P = .0206). White patients were significantly more likely than nonwhite patients to talk to friends/family as a research source (P = .0150).

Regardless of age, education, or ethnicity, most patients prefer books/written materials and video presentations for education on breast reconstruction. Providers should strive to include written and video options to meet the needs of this diverse patient population.