title: Multimedia approach to preoperative adenotonsillectomy counseling.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The primary objective was to compare retention of knowledge of surgical risks in parents of children having an adenotonsillectomy who received a preoperative handout or watched a video, in addition to standard counseling. A secondary objective was to determine whether time from counseling to day of surgery affects risk retention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective randomized control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary referral center.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study, conducted March 2010 through April 2011, included participants who had children undergoing adenotonsillectomy. The preoperative and postoperative test scores of those undergoing verbal counseling, counseling with handout, or counseling with video were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-five participants were tasked to identify 9 risks of adenotonsillectomy. Preoperatively, participants identified an average of 6.8 (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.2-7.3) in the counseling group, 7.3 (95% CI, 6.4-8.3) in the counseling and handout group, and 6.6 (95% CI, 5.9-7.3) in the counseling and video group (P = .32). Postoperatively, participants identified an average of 5.8 (95% CI, 4.9-6.7) in the counseling group, 6.5 (95% CI, 5.3-7.6) in the counseling and handout group, and 5.2 (95% CI, 4.1-6.3) in the counseling and video group (P = .19). Time between preoperative counseling and day of surgery was inversely correlated with postoperative score (β -.34, P = .02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Participants were not able to identify all of the risks associated with adenotonsillectomy. There was no difference in identification of risks associated with adenotonsillectomy among different modalities of counseling. Participants retained more information when there was less time between the preoperative counseling and day of surgery.
authors.affiliation: Madigan Army Medical Center (MAMC), Ft Lewis, Washington 98433, USA. marytheresa.adams@us.army.mil
authors.forename: Mary Theresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Renee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Makowski
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bevans
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boseley
mesh_terms: D000233:Adenoidectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019212:Multimedia / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D061214:Patient Safety; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013664:Teaching Materials; D014068:Tonsillectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome