title: Fulfilment of knowledge expectations among family members of patients undergoing arthroplasty: a European perspective.
abstract: In the recovery process of arthroplasty patients, their family members play an important role due to short hospital stay and increased age of patients. Family members need to have knowledge to be able to support the patient. The aim of this study was to explore expected and received knowledge in family members of arthroplasty patients and describe the relationships between the differences in received and expected knowledge and background factors, country, information and control preferences and access to knowledge. The study was conducted in six European countries (Cyprus, Greece, Finland, Iceland, Spain and Sweden). The study design was cross-cultural, prospective and comparative with two measurement points: pre-operative and at discharge from hospital. Knowledge Expectations of significant other-scale and Krantz Health Opinion Survey were used before surgery and Received Knowledge of significant other-scale and Access to Knowledge at discharge. Patients undergoing elective hip or knee arthroplasty in seventeen hospitals were asked to identify one family member. The sample size was decided by power calculation. A total of 615 participants answered the questionnaires at both measurements. Family members perceived to receive less knowledge than they expected to have, most unfulfilled knowledge expectations were in the financial, social and experiential dimensions of knowledge. Seventy-four per cent of participants had unfulfilled knowledge expectations. Increased access to information from healthcare providers decreased the difference between received and expected knowledge. Compared to family members in southern Europe, those in the Nordic countries had more unfulfilled knowledge expectations and less access to information from healthcare providers. The evidence from this study highlights the need to involve the family members in the educational approach.
authors: School of Health Sciences, University of Akureyri, Akureyri, Iceland.
authors: Arun K
authors: AK
authors: Sigurdardottir
authors: Department of Nursing Science, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.|Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
authors: Helena
authors: H
authors: Leino-Kilpi
authors: Department of Nursing Science, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.|Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus.
authors: Andreas
authors: A
authors: Charalambous
authors: Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors: Jouko
authors: J
authors: Katajisto
authors: Department of Social and Welfare Studies, Linköping University, Campus Norrköping, Sweden.
authors: Åsa Johansson
authors: ÅJ
authors: Stark
authors: Faculty of Nursing, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors: Panayota
authors: P
authors: Sourtzi
authors: Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Adelaida
authors: A
authors: Zabalegui
authors: Department of Nursing Science, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.|Lahti University of Applied Sciences, Lahti, Finland.
authors: Kirsi
authors: K
authors: Valkeapää
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000523:psychology*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D065246:Culturally Competent Care; D003535:Cyprus; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006115:Greece; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007055:Iceland; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: arthroplasty; family members; international perspectives; knowledge expectations; osteoarthritis; patient education