Setting up a nurse-led patient forum to inform choice
AUTHORS Linda Patten, RGN, is clinical nurse specialist; Dishan Singh, FRCS Orth, is consultant orthopaedic surgeon; Nick Cullen, FRCS Orth, is consultant orthopaedic surgeon; all at foot and ankle team; Sophie Wiggins is clinical audit lead; all at Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust, Stanmore, Middlesex.
ABSTRACT: Patten, L. et al (2008) Setting up a nurse-led patient forum to inform choice. This is an extended version of the article in Nursing Times; 104: 5,34-35.
BACKGROUND: Patients offered hindfoot or ankle fusion surgery often find making the decision whether to accept the surgery stressful. We believed that much of this was due to inadequate information about the procedure and its outcomes, and decided to set up a fusion forum – a nurse-led informal group meeting to facilitate patients' understanding of fusion procedures and help them to make informed choices about the proposed surgery.
AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of patient forums.
METHOD: A questionnaire was distributed to the first 48 patients who attended the forum.
RESULTS: Ninety-six per cent – 46/48 – of respondents felt that the quality of information provided was excellent or good; none thought it was unsatisfactory. Patients were asked how valuable they had found meeting the 'guest' (a former patient). All those who answered the question thought that meeting the guest was excellent or good.
DISCUSSION: This process greatly increased patient understanding of arthrodesis. The consent process at the pre-admission clinic demonstrates that patients have more in-depth understanding of the operative procedure and more comprehensive knowledge of the whole process, the relative risks and benefits and the expected recovery time. Most research agrees that the provision of good-quality information before elective surgery facilitates patient involvement and may reduce post-operative complications (Walker, 2007).
AUTHORS Linda Patten, RGN, is clinical nurse specialist; Dishan Singh, FRCS Orth, is consultant orthopaedic surgeon; Nick Cullen, FRCS Orth, is consultant orthopaedic surgeon; all at foot and ankle team; Sophie Wiggins is clinical audit lead; all at Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust, Stanmore, Middlesex.
ABSTRACT: Patten, L. et al (2008) Setting up a nurse-led patient forum to inform choice. This is an extended version of the article in Nursing Times; 104: 5,34-35.
BACKGROUND: Patients offered hindfoot or ankle fusion surgery often find making the decision whether to accept the surgery stressful. We believed that much of this was due to inadequate information about the procedure and its outcomes, and decided to set up a fusion forum – a nurse-led informal group meeting to facilitate patients' understanding of fusion procedures and help them to make informed choices about the proposed surgery.
AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of patient forums.
METHOD: A questionnaire was distributed to the first 48 patients who attended the forum.
RESULTS: Ninety-six per cent – 46/48 – of respondents felt that the quality of information provided was excellent or good; none thought it was unsatisfactory. Patients were asked how valuable they had found meeting the 'guest' (a former patient). All those who answered the question thought that meeting the guest was excellent or good.
DISCUSSION: This process greatly increased patient understanding of arthrodesis. The consent process at the pre-admission clinic demonstrates that patients have more in-depth understanding of the operative procedure and more comprehensive knowledge of the whole process, the relative risks and benefits and the expected recovery time. Most research agrees that the provision of good-quality information before elective surgery facilitates patient involvement and may reduce post-operative complications (Walker, 2007).
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