title: Patient-reported complications after elective joint replacement surgery: are they correct?
abstract: Using general practitioner records and hospital notes and through direct telephone conversation with patients, we investigated the accuracy of nine patient-reported complications gathered from a self-completed questionnaire after elective joint replacement surgery of the hip and knee. A total of 402 post-discharge complications were reported after 8546 elective operations that were undertaken within a three-year period. These were reported by 136 men and 240 women with a mean age of 71.8 years (34 to 93). A total of 319 reported complications (79.4%; 95% confidence interval 75.4 to 83.3) were confirmed to be correct. High rates of correct reporting were demonstrated for infection (94.5%) and the need for further surgery (100%), whereas the rates of reporting deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction and stroke were lower (75% to 84.2%). Dislocation, peri-prosthetic fractures and nerve palsy had modest rates of correct reporting (36% to 57.1%). More patients who had knee surgery delivered incorrect reports of dislocation (p = 0.001) and DVT (p = 0.013). Despite these variations, it appears that post-operative complications may form part of a larger patient-reported outcome programme after elective joint replacement surgery.
authors: University College Hospital, 235 Euston Road, London NW1 2BU, UK.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Alazzawi
authors: N V
authors: NV
authors: Bardakos
authors: S G
authors: SG
authors: Hadfield
authors: U
authors: U
authors: Butt
authors: Z H
authors: ZH
authors: Beer
authors: R E
authors: RE
authors: Field
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006617:Hip Dislocation / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D031221:Knee Dislocation / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012086:Reoperation / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D057566:Self Report / Q000592:standards*; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology