The "teach-back" method improves surgical informed consent and shared decision-making: a proof of concept study

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education
• Patient Communication
• Medical Informatics

Background:

• The teach-back method is a proven communication tool for enhancing patient safety and shared decision-making.
• Its application in surgical patient education and informed consent remains understudied.
• Limited research exists on the impact of teach-back on perioperative patient interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the teach-back method in improving informed consent and surgeon trust.
• To assess the time impact of implementing the teach-back method in surgical patient education.

Main Methods:

• A standardized role-playing scenario for pre-operative informed consent (laparoscopic cholecystectomy) was developed.
• Participants were divided into a control group and a teach-back group.
• Knowledge comprehension and subjective surgeon trust were assessed using quizzes and surveys, with statistical analysis via Generalized Linear Models (GLMs).

Main Results:

• The teach-back group demonstrated significantly higher physician trust (p=0.0457) and improved knowledge comprehension by an average of one point (p=0.0479).
• Teach-back interactions were longer by an average of 2.45 minutes (p=0.0014).
• Previous experience with the procedure did not significantly influence the positive effects of teach-back, indicating knowledge and trust gains were method-specific.

Conclusions:

• The teach-back method, when correctly applied in the perioperative setting, enhances shared decision-making, patient comprehension, and surgeon trust.
• Integrating teach-back into risk/benefit disclosures actively engages patients in the informed consent process.
• The benefits of teach-back can be achieved without a significant increase in consultation duration.