title: The Effect of Written Information on Recall of Surgical Risks of Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Written information has been thought to help patients recall surgical risks discussed during the informed consent process, but has not been assessed for carpal tunnel release, a procedure with the rare but serious risk of complex regional pain syndrome. The authors' objective was to determine whether providing a pamphlet would improve patients' ability to remember the risks of surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty patients seen for carpal tunnel release were included in this prospective, single-blind, randomized study. Patients received either a written pamphlet of the risks of surgery or no additional information following a standardized consultation. Two weeks after the initial consultation, patients were contacted to assess their risk recall and whether they had read about the operation from any source.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no difference in terms of the number of risks recalled between pamphlet (1.33 ± 1.21) or control groups (1.45 ± 1.22; p = 0.73). Recall of infection was better in the pamphlet group (p < 0.05). No patients remembered complex regional pain syndrome. There was no difference in the proportion of people who read additional information about carpal tunnel release surgery between the pamphlet (34.8 percent) and control groups (21.4 percent; p = 0.39), but reading about carpal tunnel release surgery was associated with improved recall (2.45 ± 1.13 versus 0.77 ± 0.91; p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reading about surgery improved risk recall, but providing this information in the form of a pamphlet did not, nor did it affect patients' ability to recall the risk of complex regional pain syndrome. These results demonstrate that surgeons should implement additional measures to improve comprehension of surgical risks.
  
  
  METHODS
  Therapeutic, I.
authors.affiliation: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.|From the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the Faculty of Medicine, and the Department of Anesthesia, Dalhousie University.
authors.forename: Alison L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.|From the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the Faculty of Medicine, and the Department of Anesthesia, Dalhousie University.
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.|From the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the Faculty of Medicine, and the Department of Anesthesia, Dalhousie University.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.|From the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the Faculty of Medicine, and the Department of Anesthesia, Dalhousie University.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: LeBlanc
authors.affiliation: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.|From the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the Faculty of Medicine, and the Department of Anesthesia, Dalhousie University.
authors.forename: Steven F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.|From the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the Faculty of Medicine, and the Department of Anesthesia, Dalhousie University.
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Paletz
authors.affiliation: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.|From the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the Faculty of Medicine, and the Department of Anesthesia, Dalhousie University.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.affiliation: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.|From the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the Faculty of Medicine, and the Department of Anesthesia, Dalhousie University.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.|From the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the Faculty of Medicine, and the Department of Anesthesia, Dalhousie University.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bezuhly
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures; D010149:Postoperative Pain; D010174:Pamphlets; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D016037:Single-Blind Method