title: Patients' preferred mode of travel to the orthopaedic theatre.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the preferred mode of travel to the operating theatre for elective orthopaedic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data was collected prospectively over a 2-wk period at an elective Orthopaedic Treatment Centre. Patients were asked to complete a patient satisfaction questionnaire following their surgery on their experience and subsequent preferred mode of transport to theatre. The data was then recorded in a tabulated format and analysed with percentages. Fisher's exact test was used to determine if there was any statistical association between patients' preference to walk and various groups; in-patient or day case procedures, and whether patients were < 60 years or > 60 years of age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy patients (40 females and 30 males) fully completed the questionnaire. In total there were 33 d-cases and 37 in-patients. The spectrum of orthopaedic sub-specialties included was knee (41%), hip (17%), foot and ankle (24%), spine (13%) and upper limb (4%). Patient satisfaction for overall experience of travelling to theatre was either excellent (77%) or good (23%). Following their experience of travelling to theatre, 87% (95%CI: 79%-95%) of the total cohort would have preferred to walk to the operating theatre. There was a statistically significant association (P = 0.003) between patients' preference to walk and whether they were day-case or in-patients. Similarly, there was a statistically significance association (P = 0.028) between patients' preference to walk and whether they were < 60 years or > 60 years of age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirms the majority of Orthopaedic elective patients would prefer to walk to theatre, when given the choice and if practically possible.
authors.affiliation: Joel A Humphrey, Sarah L Johnson, Shilen Patel, Stephen Bendall, Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals, Sussex Orthopaedic NHS Treatment Centre, Haywards Heath, RH16 4EY West Sussex, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Joel A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Humphrey
authors.affiliation: Joel A Humphrey, Sarah L Johnson, Shilen Patel, Stephen Bendall, Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals, Sussex Orthopaedic NHS Treatment Centre, Haywards Heath, RH16 4EY West Sussex, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Sarah L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Joel A Humphrey, Sarah L Johnson, Shilen Patel, Stephen Bendall, Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals, Sussex Orthopaedic NHS Treatment Centre, Haywards Heath, RH16 4EY West Sussex, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Shilen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Joel A Humphrey, Sarah L Johnson, Shilen Patel, Stephen Bendall, Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals, Sussex Orthopaedic NHS Treatment Centre, Haywards Heath, RH16 4EY West Sussex, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Muzaffar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malik
authors.affiliation: Joel A Humphrey, Sarah L Johnson, Shilen Patel, Stephen Bendall, Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals, Sussex Orthopaedic NHS Treatment Centre, Haywards Heath, RH16 4EY West Sussex, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Charles A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Willis-Owen
authors.affiliation: Joel A Humphrey, Sarah L Johnson, Shilen Patel, Stephen Bendall, Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals, Sussex Orthopaedic NHS Treatment Centre, Haywards Heath, RH16 4EY West Sussex, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bendall
keywords: Orthopaedic theatre; Patient autonomy; Patient satisfaction