Patient education and postoperative pain.

Rationale:

A patient’s pain score on the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) is a leading indicator in postoperative pain treatment. Previous studies show different interpretations of the NRS score between patients and professionals. A risk of under- or overtreatment might arise when health care providers rigidly follow guidelines that prescribe strong analgesics. Patients need to be better educated about the NRS score and pain treatment to prevent under- or overtreatment with opioids.



Objective:

Does an educational film seen before surgery change the postoperative expressed need for opioids by the patient? Does an educational film improve patients’ knowledge, attitude and self-efficacy and decrease anxiety towards postoperative pain and pain management?



Study design:

The study is a Randomized Controlled Trial.



Study population:

Adult patients scheduled for elective surgery and visiting the Outpatient Preanaesthesia Evaluation Clinic in UMC Utrecht.



Intervention:

The intervention of interest is an educational film on postoperative pain, pain assessment (NRS) and pain medication; the film lasts five minutes. The control group will see a film about the infotainment system of the hospital; this film lasts three minutes.

An educational film seen before surgery change the postoperative expressed need for opioids by the patient (i.e., increase when postoperative patients report NRS > 4 and decrease when patients report NRS ≤ 4).

1. After watching the film the patient is asked to fill in a questionnaire containing questions whether the patient understood the message of the film and the TMSI;

2. Two weeks before surgery a questionnaire will be send to the patient by mail and with an invitation to fill in and send the questionnaire back with the return envelop. Demographic data (age, gender, educational level and preoperative pain) will be collected;

3. The day after surgery, the pain scores (NRS and VRS) and the expressed need for (more) opioids will be collected.

The intervention of interest is an educational film on postoperative pain, pain assessment (NRS) and pain medication. The film lasts four minutes. The control group will see a film about the infotainment system of the hospital. This film lasts three minutes.