Surgical information demand and received of orthopedics patients: A case study of a mid-Taiwan metropolitan hospital

[[abstract]]Abstract The objective of this study was to understand orthopedic surgery hospitalized patients? satisfaction in the importance of surgery information and information needs. The research method was judgment sampling; research objects were patients whom were over age 18 and have had rachis, total knee arthroplasty, hip prosthesis, and fracture reduction in a teaching hospital in central Taiwan, 231 samples was gathered. Self-made structured questionnaire was used as research tool; and five-point Likert scale was used, in which higher score means higher satisfactions. The data were analyzed with descriptive analysis, T-test, one-way ANOVA and opportunity algorithm. The results demonstrated that: (a) The orthopedic surgery patients? importance in overall surgery information needs was between ?important? and ?very important? (with average 3.95), in which ?surgery process detail? got the higher score and ?operating room environment? got the lowest score. (b) In all affective factors of importance of surgery information needs, the relevant factors are as followed: age, marital status, and educational background are relevant to importance in needs and marital status is only relevant in information needs. (c) From this research, we understand that patients would like hospital personals to improve their instruction and notification in "guidance of wound care?, ?surgery complication? and ?possible side effect and complication of anesthesia?. These three items were with most potential in opportunity variables. The result of this research could be use as reference material in taking care of orthopedic surgery patients. Keywords: surgery patients, information needs, information obtai