Effects of a web-based preoperative education program for patients undergoing ambulatory surgery: a preliminary study

Increasing numbers of surgical procedures that were once done in hospitals are now being performed in ambulatory care settings. Provision of quality preoperative education in those settings has become a challenge. This article reports findings from a practice-based study where the nurses in a preoperative preparation center implemented a supplemental, web-based educational program for same-day surgery patients and assessed its outcomes (N = 69). The patients who used the web-based program in addition to usual care achieved significantly higher scores for anesthesia knowledge (t = 2.15, p = 0.04) and teaching satisfaction (t = 2.13, p = 0.04) than those who received usual care only. The findings demonstrate a great potential for use of web-based programs to improve patient education in busy preoperative care areas. A convenience sample with a small sample size was a major limitation. Further studies with large samples are needed to demonstrate tangible clinical outcomes.