title: What do we tell patients about elective total hip replacement in the UK? An analysis of patient literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although hip information literature is given to people following total hip replacement (THR) almost routinely, little evaluation has been conducted on it to date. Our aim was therefore to analyse and evaluate the literature provided to patients by occupational therapists concerning elective hip surgery in the UK.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a pragmatic, descriptive analysis of information leaflets routinely given to patients undergoing primary total hip replacement (THR). The literature was collected as part of a national survey of occupational therapy practice. In the absence of a suitable evaluation tool, the patient leaflets were compared using a checklist devised by the researchers. The three areas of interest were: accessibility including presentation of information, breadth of information covered and specific activities of daily living described.
  
  
  RESULTS
  111 information leaflets and booklets were examined. These ranged from hospital publications which were professionally printed to those produced by individual departments. There was a variation in the readability of the leaflets ranging from 13% to 83%; the mean was 45% (SD 15). There was also variation in the content ranging from those covering surgery and possible complications, to those including diet and hip exercises. The most commonly covered activity of daily living was advice on sitting (99; 89%); the least commonly covered was work (26; 23%). Only 3 (2.7%) booklets had involved patients in their production and only 22 (20%) signposted obtaining information in another language or in Braille.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was a range of literature in terms of presentation and content given to people who had a total hip replacement (THR). Although some booklets and leaflets scored highly, some did not meet basic standards such as providing contact details for help, using good quality diagrams, suggesting further reading or involving patients in their design. These results highlight important and fundamental deficiencies in the literature routinely provided.
authors: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK. avril.drummond@nottingham.ac.uk
authors: Avril
authors: A
authors: Drummond
authors: Claire
authors: C
authors: Edwards
authors: Carol
authors: C
authors: Coole
authors: Catherine
authors: C
authors: Brewin
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / Q000193:education* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D058015:Health Communication; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D010174:Pamphlets; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D006113:United Kingdom
references: BMJ. 2007 Jul 7;335(7609):24-7
references: 17615222
references: Health Expect. 2004 Jun;7(2):165-75
references: 15117391
references: Am J Occup Ther. 2006 Jan-Feb;60(1):70-80
references: 16541986
references: BMJ. 2006 Aug 26;333(7565):417
references: 16908462
references: J Public Health Med. 2001 Sep;23(3):227-34
references: 11585196
references: Br Dent J. 2006 Jul 22;201(2):114-7; discussion 100
references: 16841085
references: Patient Educ Couns. 2004 Feb;52(2):175-81
references: 15132523
references: J Adv Nurs. 2005 Apr;50(2):212-23
references: 15788086
references: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2003;(4):CD003716
references: 14583990
references: J Epidemiol Community Health. 1999 Feb;53(2):105-11
references: 10396471
references: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2004;(1):CD003526
references: 14974019