Multisensory Education=Patient Understanding of Ortho Conditions

Get patients involved in multiple ways and they will learn, says new research from the University of Missouri. Specifically, the researchers found that patients who are engaged via sight, hearing, and touch during the informed consent process have an improved comprehension of their care and possible outcomes. The new study appears in the October 5, 2016 issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS).

“The field of orthopaedics is primed to take a leadership role in improving physician-patient communication during the process of informed consent, ” said lead study author and principal investigator Nkemakolam Egekeze, M.D. in the October 5, 2016 news release. “Our study is the first randomized controlled trial to evaluate patient comprehension of a multisensory informed consent discussion.”

The study included 67 people with knee arthritis who had a corticosteroid injection.

“The patients were placed randomly into one of three groups: verbal, where the patient listened to a discussion script explaining their treatment; verbal and video, where the patient listened to a discussion script while watching a silent animated knee anatomy video; and, verbal and model, where patients listened to the discussion script while touching and showing the treatment areas on a three dimensional model of the knee.

Each discussion script was performed by the same physician and based on content from OrthoInfo.org, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ patient education website. Each patient was then given ‘The Nkem Test, ’ which measures understanding of a topic. Patient satisfaction and the patients’ preferred method of informed consent discussion were then measured using a survey.”

The verbal and model group had an 84% comprehension score; the verbal and video group, 74%; and, the verbal only group, 71%. Regardless of the group, say the authors, the majority of participants preferred the informed consent discussion incorporating an anatomic model.

Dr. Egekeze told OTW, “Over years of reviewing the medical literature and communicating with patients, we determined that one area of improvement for the field of medicine is educating patients about their medical care. Considering this, we choose to investigate how to optimize patient comprehension of an informed consent discussion.”

“Our study found that an informed consent discussion incorporating OrthoInfo and an anatomic model optimized patient comprehension of a time-controlled informed consent discussion. Of note, this discussion method was our participants preferred method for surgeon-patient communication and established an optimal level of patient satisfaction.”

“Optimizing patient comprehension of an informed consent discussion may help patients establish realistic treatment expectations and improve patient compliance with treatment recommendations in the field of orthopedic surgery.”

“The investigators had an amazing time engaging patients in their orthopedic care. We believe that improving patient comprehension of an informed consent discussion may play a role in strengthening the physician-patient relationship.”