Evaluating patient recall following operative orthopaedic trauma

Introduction: Orthopedic trauma patients may have poor recall of their injuries and treatment. This may lead to poor adherence to instructions. The purposes of this project were to quantify recall about injury and treatment information, and to assess adherence to postoperative instructions and satisfaction with care. Methods: A prospective cohort of 110 consecutive adult orthopaedic trauma patients treated for acute injury at a Level 1 trauma center were included. All had undergone surgical treatment of fractures of the pelvis or lower extremity. A brief survey to assess patient recall about injury and treatment knowledge, adherence to weightbearing and DVT recommendations and to evaluate patient satisfaction was admin-istered during the first post-hospital clinic visit. Results: Patients correctly answered 64% of recall-oriented questions. 82% and 83% of patients, respec-tively, reported adherence to their weightbearing restrictions and their DVT prophylaxis regimen, while 66% of patients reported adherence to both. Forty-two percent of non-adherent patients could not re-member their weightbearing restrictions, while 78% of non-adherent patients could not remember their DVT prophylaxis regimen. Average patient satisfaction was 4.3 (range 1-5), with 15% of patients indicating neutral sentiment or dissatisfaction with their care. Conclusion: Orthopaedic trauma patients have poor recall, which likely reduces postoperative adherence and may impair patient satisfaction. A postoperative educational protocol focused on improving patient recall may be useful. Level of Evidence: Level 4, prognostic (c) 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study investigated the recall of orthopedic trauma patients regarding injury and treatment information, as well as their adherence to postoperative instructions and satisfaction with care. The results showed that patients correctly answered 64% of recall-oriented questions. 82% and 83% of patients reported adherence to weightbearing and DVT recommendations, while 66% reported adherence to both. Non-adherent patients had difficulty remembering their weightbearing restrictions (42%) and DVT prophylaxis regimen (78%). On average, patient satisfaction was 4.3 out of 5, with 15% expressing neutral or dissatisfied sentiment. It is concluded that poor patient recall may reduce postoperative adherence and impact patient satisfaction, suggesting the need for a postoperative educational protocol to improve recall.