Patient and family satisfaction levels in the intensive care unit after elective cardiac surgery: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial of a preoperative patient education intervention

Lai, Veronica Ka Wai; Lee, Anna; Leung, Patricia; Chiu, Chun Hung; Ho, Ka Man; Gomersall, Charles David; Underwood, Malcolm John; Joynt, Gavin Matthew

rmational needs related to surgical aspects of care. However, few have adequately examined the effect of educational interventions specifically targeting surgical issues and the postoperative ICU stay, or investigated the inter-relationships between patient education, patient and family satisfaction scores, and measures of anxiety and depression. This two-group, parallel, superiority, double-blinded randomised controlled trial will examine the effectiveness of a multifaceted patient education intervention on patient and family satisfaction, and postoperative anxiety and depression in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The primary objective is to determine the effect of the preoperative patient education package (video and ICU tour) for patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery on patient and family satisfaction with care and decision-making in the ICU. The second objective of the study is to determine the effect of preoperative patient education package on anxiety and depression levels in patients after elective cardiac surgery. The primary hypothesis is that preoperative patient education will increase both patient and family satisfaction levels after elective cardiac surgery, and the secondary hypothesis is that preoperative patient education will reduce patient anxiety and depression measures after cardiac surgery.