Impact of Preoperative Patient Education on Postoperative Recovery in Abdominal Surgery: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background Patient education is recommended as an essential component of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) protocols. However, there are many uncertainties regarding content and methodological criteria, which may have a significant impact on the effectiveness of the intervention. The aim of this review is to assess the effect of preoperative patient education on postoperative recovery in abdominal surgery and to examine different patient education strategies for their effectiveness. Methods We performed a systematic review according to the PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, CINAHL, and Cochrane were searched from 2011 to 2022. All studies investigating the effect of preoperative patient education on postoperative recovery in abdominal surgery were included. A critical quality assessment of all included studies was performed. Results We identified 826 potentially suitable articles via a database search and included 12 studies in this review. The majority of the included studies reported a reduction in the length of hospital stay (LOS) and even a reduction in postoperative complications and adverse events. Patients with preoperative education seemed to have lower psychological stress and experience less anxiety. However, the contents, delivery, and general conditions were implemented differently, making comparison difficult. Moreover, the majority of the included studies were weak in quality. Conclusion With this review, we report potential effects, current implementations, and frameworks of patient education. However, the results must be interpreted with caution and are not directly transferable to clinical practice. Further studies in this field are necessary to make concrete recommendations for clinical practice.

Pain Neuroscience Education in elective surgery patients: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

“…The educational session will have an audiovisual resource (video) prepared by the research group that has information about the neurophysiology of pain, the pathophysiological mechanism of postoperative pain, potential central sensitisation factors (emotions, stress and perceptions of the disease), the role of the brain in pain perception, psychosocial factors related to pain, cognitive and behavioural responses related to pain and surgery and the use of analgesics during the postoperative period. The material will be prepared based on studies in the field of Neuroscience of Pain, the book ‘Explain Pain’ and the principles of perioperative nursing care focused on pain control 12 32 33. The following concept of PNE was used: “a range of educational interventions that aim to change one’s understanding of the biological processes that are thought to underpin pain as a mechanism to reduce pain itself.…”

Unexpected intensive care unit admission after surgery: impact on clinical outcome

“…Educating patients about their upcoming surgery, potential risks, and postoperative expectations is a fundamental aspect of ensuring a successful outcome. Informed patients are more likely to actively participate in their care and adhere to treatment plans [37 ▪▪ ]. During preoperative consultations, healthcare providers should take the time to explain the procedure in understandable and clear terms, discuss potential complications, and answer any questions the patient may have [38].…”

We Need to Talk About Methadone: Adding Discussions With Patients to Our Care Pathways

“…Chief among these is that patient education and expectation-setting are major drivers of ERAS success. 2 Within a pathway, interventions with unique risk, benefit, and/or duration of action typically merit special discussion with the patient before surgery. A salient example is the use of regional anesthesia/analgesia techniques, where, in addition to patient informed consent for a specific peripheral nerve, field, or fascial plane block, preoperative discussion includes a consideration of how the blocks are used in conjunction with other multimodal analgesic agents within the care pathway.…”

“…As we mentioned in the article, anesthesiologists needed to carefully weigh the risks associated with postoperative sore throat and block. 2 We eagerly anticipate future research on this topic, and further investigation is warranted to ensure the safety of US-guided iSLNB. 1 The authors provided a comprehensive summary of the available literature and raised compelling points for and against using methadone in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols.…”

“…The concerns raised by Stone et al 1 highlight a separate important issue in our current anesthesia and surgical practice-how to increase patient understanding and information retention through informed consent discussions. Previous studies 2,3 have highlighted that patients have poor recall of the informed consent process, surgical complications, and anesthetic modalities.…”