Improving Patient Recall Following Operative Orthopaedic Trauma

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic surgery
• Patient education
• Trauma care

Background:

• Orthopaedic trauma patients often have poor recall of injury and treatment, negatively impacting outcomes.
• Effective patient education is crucial for improving postoperative results in trauma care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a standardized postoperative educational protocol on patient recall, treatment adherence, and satisfaction.
• To determine if a "teach-back" method can enhance patient understanding and compliance after orthopaedic trauma surgery.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study of 220 adult patients with surgically treated lower-extremity fractures.
• An intervention group received a "teach-back" educational protocol post-surgery; a control group did not.
• Patient recall, adherence to weight-bearing and DVT prophylaxis, and satisfaction were assessed via questionnaires.

Main Results:

• The intervention group showed significantly higher correct answers on recall questions (89% vs. 64%, p < 0.001).
• Adherence to DVT prophylaxis was significantly higher in the intervention group (99% vs. 84%, p < 0.001).
• Patient satisfaction was higher in the intervention group (p = 0.02), and the educational protocol was the only modifiable factor linked to improved recall.

Conclusions:

• A standardized postoperative educational protocol can mitigate nonadherence and dissatisfaction in orthopaedic trauma patients.
• The "teach-back" method is an effective, time-efficient strategy to improve patient recall, adherence, and satisfaction in orthopaedic trauma care.