Postoperative patient education: a systematic review

Knowledge of the effects of the specific approach, mode of delivery, and dose of educational interventions is essential to develop and implement effective post-operative educational interventions. Understanding the relationships of patient characteristics to outcomes is important for educational interventions. Purpose and methodology: The purpose of this systematic review was to examine who would most benefit from post-operative education, given in what type of approach and mode, and at what dose? The sample included 58 studies involving 5271 participants. Major results: Findings indicate delivery of post-operative patient education through the individualization of content, use of combined media for delivery, provision of education on a one-on-one basis, and in multiple sessions is associated with improvement in educational/health outcomes. Samples that contained individuals younger than 50 years of age and higher percentages of males showed benefits in outcomes of moderate magnitude. Application: The results highlight the importance of attending to the characteristics of both the elements of post-operative educational interventions and the individual patients in the design and delivery of patient education.