New Mexico patients and the benefits of pre-surgery education

On Behalf of | May 29, 2015 | Surgical Errors

New Mexico patients may find interest in a Gallup research survey with a focus on pre-surgery education. The survey assessed whether patients felt they were informed by their doctors as to what to expect after their procedure, from medication to rehabilitation. Patients were asked to rate their level of agreement with three statements, including that they knew what to expect after surgery, were prepared for their post-surgery experience, and followed post-surgery instructions.

According to the survey, patients who strongly agreed with one of the three statements had a lower rate of problems after surgery than patients who agreed with none of them. Patients who agreed with two or three of the statements experienced increased overall satisfaction and even fewer problems. The study may assist improvements in pre-surgery education by helping health care practitioners identify the weaknesses in existing methods.

Refining patient communication and education can significantly improve patient outcomes. Health care providers are urged to emphasize proactive communication with patients, use checklists during surgery to reduce errors and tailor communication to the individual patient. Medical device companies may also improve patient education by developing easily accessible content, accommodating patient-surgeon disconnects and anticipating as well as answering questions from patients.

A medical malpractice lawyer may be able to assist a person who was a victim of a failure to recognize postoperative complications. If it is determined that a health care practitioner was responsible for the subsequent preventable injury or illness, a medical malpractice lawsuit may lead to the recovery of compensation for the damages that were incurred, including the costs of required medical care and treatment as well as lost wages.

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