Development and Evaluation of Evidence Based Pre- Operative Patient Education Booklet in Lumbar Discectomy

Objective: The objective of this study was to contribute towards further understanding of the preoperative educational requirement of patients by developing and evaluating suitable evidence based patient education booklet in lumbar discectomy. Summary of background data: The primary surgical intervention for lumbar radiculopathy is lumbar discectomy but its result remains variable. Patient education has been found beneficial in various surgeries and resulted in enhanced outcome of the surgery with respect to pain, disability and quality of life. Methodology: It consists of 5 Steps. 1) Literature review, informal interview and questionnaire filled by 3 surgeons, 5 physiotherapists and 5 patients were used to determine the domains of the education booklet. 2) Literature review to develop the content for the domains of the booklet and formulate a rough draft of the booklet. 3) Modification in the booklet as recommended by surgeons and therapists to develop the final booklet. 4) Evaluation of the booklet on readability ease by Flesch reading ease and by Suitability assessment of Material questionnaire filled by surgeons and therapists. 5) Pilot study on patients to take their views regarding the booklet developed. Results: The domains determined in step 1 were: Anatomy, understanding the mechanism of pain, about the surgery, complications associated with surgery and role of physiotherapy. The content was developed and modified in step 2 and 3. In step 4 Flesch reading score is 70.5 and suitability assessment of material questionnaire score77.3%. In step 5 patients rated the booklet easy to read and understand. Conclusion: The developed patient education booklet came out to be fairly easy to read according to flesch reading ease and of superior quality according to suitability assessment of material questionnaire and hence should be made a part of patient education.