Implementing a surgery-patient education program as a routine practice: a study conducted in two Dutch hospitals.

Abstract

Evaluation of existing patient education practices has shown a lack of sufficient preoperative training, despite evidence that such training benefits facing surgery. In close cooperation with their respective medical and nursing staffs, a surgery-patient education program was developed and implemented in two Dutch hospitals. The program was based on empirical findings regarding the effectiveness of various methods used to prepare patients for surgery and, on theory, comparing differences in patients' desires to exert personal control. Evaluation of the new program showed that the specified information was provided to only a limited extent, partly because of problems with the implementation process and partly because some information was made available for patients to use at their own discretion on an 'as needed' basis.