Presentation of Relevant Surgical Information to Patients Using Digital Images.
10.2185/jjrm.49.42
- VernacularTitle:デジタル画像を用いた術中情報の手術患者への開示
- Author:
Hideya ISAI
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- From:Journal of the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine
2000;49(1):42-45
- CountryJapan
- Language:Japanese
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Abstract:
At present, the disclosure of medical information to patients is mainly the release of their medical records. In surgery, however, as a patient usually lies unconscious during operation, the disclosure of surgical information is one of the most difficult tasks. Oral explanation after surgery is often inadequate even with drawings. Thus, in order to make a more precise disclosure, we edited the images taken by a digital camera in the operating theatre, and handed the print to the patients and their family members.
Questionnaires were sent to 33 patients who were given the print (disclosed group), and to another 33 patients who were not given (non-disclosed group). Seventynine percent of the questionnaires could be collected from the disclosed group, and in the non-disclosed group 91% were recovered.
Indication of the operation was understood in all the patients in the disclosed group, but in the non-disclosed group the rate was 93%. Proposed operative procedures were understood in 91% of the patients in the disclosed group, whereas the rate was 93% in the non-disclosed group. After operation, there was no difference between two groups concerning understanding of the explanation. However, while all the patients in the disclosed group remembered the postoperative diagnoses and operative procedures, only 83% of the patients in the non-disclosed group did (chi-square test, P=0.0397). Eighty-three percent of the patients in the disclosed group and 93% of the patients in the non-disclosed group were satisfied with the outcome of the operation. In the disclosed group, 83% of the patients could understand the contents of the print, and 96% of them mentioned that it was a good trial.
In conclusion, the disclosure of the information about surgical operations was effective when a print was used togethr with images taken by a digital camera. This trial contributed greatly to the improvement of patients' understanding of the details of surgical operations and the precise memory of the postoperative diagnoses and procedures.
