Get into The Digital Age: A Patient Satisfaction Survey Investigating Pre- and Post-Operative Information Provision in Lower Limb Surgery

Background
Planned lower limb surgery is common, with over 90,000 hip and 95,000 knee replacements performed in the UK yearly. Patient satisfaction is an important element of healthcare provision, usually measured by functional outcomes but influenced by many other factors. Few studies have assessed patients’ views on the information given to them pertaining surgery and patients are infrequently consulted when designing information packs which can lead to confusion during the recovery period and poorer long-term outcomes. We aimed to assess if patients were satisfied with the information they received around their operations and identify potential improvements.

Methods
Set in a major trauma centre in the West Midlands, a survey was administered to patients who used the orthopaedic service over the course of one month. Surveys were designed in Qualtrics and administered face-to-face on paper. Thematic content analysis was performed.

Results
Eighty patients completed the survey, of which 88.8% of patients were satisfied with the information they received. Discussions with surgeons were the most useful resource and 53% of patients requested more internet resources. Post-operative patients more likely to be dissatisfied with information provision. Over 20% of patients requested more information on post-op pain and recovery timelines.

Key Messages

Although patients were generally satisfied, areas for change were identified. Suggested improvements take the form of webpages, a mobile platform or forum for asking healthcare professionals questions. Extra resources could contain educational videos, patient experiences and an interactive recovery timeline. These suggestions may enable NHS Trusts to “get into the digital age”.