Optimising Treatment Expectations Using a Video-Based Intervention in Orthopaedic Surgery: Results From a Randomised...

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Psychological Interventions
• Pain Management

Background:

• Psychological interventions can optimize patient expectations in surgery.
• Resource-intensive interventions limit clinical application.
• Brief, video-based approaches offer a scalable alternative.

Purpose of the Study:

• To optimize treatment expectations in elective orthopaedic surgery patients using a brief video intervention.
• To explore the role of violated expectations in postoperative outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A three-arm randomized clinical trial with 125 participants undergoing elective orthopaedic surgery.
• Intervention group received an expectation-focused video; control group received an active control video or standard care.
• Primary outcome was pain intensity, measured at baseline and postoperatively (days 1 and 7).

Main Results:

• The video intervention successfully increased treatment expectations compared to control and standard care.
• No significant effect of the intervention on postoperative pain intensity was observed.
• Negative expectation violations (feeling worse than expected) correlated with higher pain intensity.

Conclusions:

• Brief video interventions can optimize patient treatment expectations in surgical settings.
• The clinical relevance of improved expectations alone may be limited.
• Focusing on avoiding negative expectation violations shows promise for future interventions.