Video-enhanced informed consent improves patient comprehension in reverse total shoulder arthroplasty: a randomized...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Medical Education
• Patient Communication

Background:

• Informed consent for reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (rTSA) is crucial for patient understanding.
• Current comprehension rates of pre-operative information are low (29%).
• Need to evaluate methods to improve patient understanding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess if pre-operative educational videos improve patient comprehension of rTSA.
• To compare video education effectiveness against standard verbal explanations.
• To examine the impact on consultation time and demographic variations.

Main Methods:

• Prospective randomized controlled trial with 60 patients undergoing rTSA.
• Patients were assigned to either a video education group or a control group.
• Comprehension was measured using a 7-question test post-intervention.

Main Results:

• The video education group scored significantly higher (5.70/7) than the control group (4.67/7) (P = .002).
• Improvements were noted across all patient subgroups.
• Older, lower-educated, and non-native speaking patients showed particular benefit.

Conclusions:

• Pre-operative educational videos enhance patient comprehension of rTSA procedures.
• Video interventions are particularly beneficial for vulnerable patient populations.
• Integrating video education into rTSA protocols is recommended.