[Quality assurance of patient information--knee and hip alloplasty]

In order to estimate the efficiency of given information we asked 245 patients to fill in a questionnaire. The questions were based on written information given three to 36 months earlier in relation to joint replacement surgery of the knee or hip. One hundred and ninety-seven questionnaires were returned. Eighty-six percent of the patients were satisfied with the received information. Among patients, who had not kept the written information the knowledge about the operation, possible complications and safety rules after discharge from the hospital was poor. Several patients wanted further information about anaesthesia and rehabilitation. Like other investigations, this study demonstrates that information is to a great extent forgotten by the patients. This could be the result of patients' poor knowledge about the body and its functions together with a poor motivation for receiving "unpleasant" information. Better time for verbal information and a more professional lay-out of written information could improve the effectiveness of information.