%0 Journal Article
%T A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Preoperative Patient Education Intervention to Improve Satisfaction and Reduce Resource Utilization in Gynecologic Surgery
%A Alexandre
%A Ana
%A Baptiste
%A Buckley
%A Burke
%A Caitlin
%A D
%A Hou
%A I
%A Jason
%A June
%A M
%A Meritens
%A Tergas
%A William
%A Wright
%A Y
%A de
%J -
%D 2018
%R 10.18314/cogo.v1i1.1409
%X During the initial surgical consult patients may feel overwhelmed by the information they are given regarding their diagnosis and surgical plan. We looked to determine if a preoperative patient educational intervention would improve patient satisfaction and optimize use of medical services after discharge. Methods: We randomized women undergoing major gynecologic surgery by laparoscopy or laparotomy, to standard of care (Control) or a preoperative educational intervention. The pre-operative educational intervention consisted of: 1) a handout with information on inpatient and outpatient recovery and 2) a preoperative phone-call to review the handout and answer questions. At the post-operative visit, patients completed a Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ-18), addressing satisfaction, interpersonal manner, communication, time spent with doctors and physician accessibility. The number of phone calls, emergency department visits and unscheduled post-operative clinic visits were quantified during the first 2 weeks after surgery. Descriptive statistics and t-tests were used for analysis. Results: 62 consecutive patients were randomized: 31 to intervention and 31 to the control group. Within the cohort 35 patients underwent laparoscopy and 21 laparotomy, 6 patients withdrew or cancelled their surgery. Forty postoperative patient satisfaction questionnaires were collected, 20 in the intervention group and 20 in the control group (response rate 71%). Intervention was associated to increased patient satisfaction. In the LSC group, the intervention improved patientsĄŻ perception of their physiciansĄŻ interpersonal manners, communication and time spent with the doctor (p < 0.05). Only one patient (3.5%) in the intervention group visited the ER post-operatively (laparotomy, wound separation) compared to 5 (17.8%) control patients (4 laparoscopy, 1 laparotomy, p < 0.05), all for minor complaints (pain, anxiety, incision). Conclusions: In our randomized trial this low-cost, feasible pre-operative educational intervention improves patientsĄŻ perception of their surgeonsĄŻ communication skills and decreased post-operative healthcare resource utilization. The effects are most pronounced in women undergoing minimally invasive surgery
%U https://www.gratisoa.org/journals/index.php/COGO/article/view/1409