title: Oral information in orthopaedics: how should the patient's understanding be assessed?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patient information is governed by recommendations of best practices required from any healthcare professional. The aim of this study was to design a tool to measure patient comprehension of the information provided during a surgical consultation before a scheduled surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a single-center prospective study of 21 patients using a rating scale-type visual analog scale. Each patient was interviewed and asked to score his or her understanding of the information provided. The investigator checked the external validity of the tool using questions to assess patient's understanding level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results show that there is a tendency to overvalue some information (reasons for the intervention and alternatives to surgery) and that certain information is not understood (risks and complications) or not provided (postoperative follow-up).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirms that a rating scale can measure the understanding of information and there is a variation between perceived and actual understanding.
authors: EA 7299 ETHOS, faculté de médecine, université de Lorraine, 9, avenue de la Forêt-de-Haye, 54505 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France; IFSI, centre psychothérapique de Nancy, 1, rue du Docteur-Archambault, 54521 Laxou cedex, France. Electronic address: karine.giudici@cpn-laxou.com.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Giudici
authors: ThEMAS TIMC-IMAG (UMR CNRS 5525), domaine de la Merci, CHU de Grenoble, 38706 La Tronche cedex, France.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Gillois
authors: EA 7299 ETHOS, faculté de médecine, université de Lorraine, 9, avenue de la Forêt-de-Haye, 54505 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France; ATOL, CHU de Nancy, 29, avenue du Maréchal-de-Lattre-de-Tassigny, 54000 Nancy, France; Service de médecine légale et droit de la santé, faculté de médecine, université de Lorraine, 9, avenue de la Forêt-de-Haye, 54505 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Coudane
authors: EA 7299 ETHOS, faculté de médecine, université de Lorraine, 9, avenue de la Forêt-de-Haye, 54505 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France; Service de médecine légale et droit de la santé, faculté de médecine, université de Lorraine, 9, avenue de la Forêt-de-Haye, 54505 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France; Pôle S2R, CHU de Nancy, 29, avenue du Maréchal-de-Lattre-de-Tassigny, 54000 Nancy, France.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Claudot
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D032882:Comprehension; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D008297:Male; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures; D009985:Orthopedics / Q000941:ethics*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011446:Prospective Studies
keywords: Ethics; Information; Informed consent; Orthopaedic surgery