Inguinal Hernia
Conditions
Keywords
inguinal hernia, informed consent, STAI, ICF, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Individual Clinician Feedback
Brief summary
The use of electronic media in informed consent giving has become increasingly important in recent years. Due to the easy access to information via electronical media, patients are primed in a heterogeneous manner concerning expectations and wishes regarding surgical interventions. Inherent to its nature elective interventions are critically questioned as there is time for information gathering and reflection. In this study, the investigators set out to investigate the effect of an educational video as a supporting element in the process of informed consent giving for one the most frequently performed interventions in general surgery, namely inguinal hernia repair. In a multi-center setup, eligible patients for primary inguinal hernia repair will be randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups. The intervention video provides basic principles of endoscopic extraperitoneal hernia repair. The second video is similar in length and design and displays general aspects of day surgery in the two study centres. The third group's link will lead to the digital version of the informed consent. Primary outcomes will consist of 1) score in a multiple choice test assessing gain of knowledge regarding hernia repair, 2) difference in the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and 3) patient satisfaction questionnaire (ICF, Picker Institute, Germany) as assessed 1-2 days after the first consultation.
Interventions
OTHERExplanatory video
Links to explanatory videos handed out to patients to be watched at home after standard informed consent giving
OTHERInformed consent form
Links to a digital version of the informed consent form already discussed during the process of informed consent giving.
Sponsors
Kantonsspital Winterthur KSW
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* unilateral or bilateral hernia with indication for surgical therapy * signed informed consent form for trial participation
Exclusion criteria
* Patients who have had surgery for ipsi- or contralateral inguinal or femoral hernia * combination interventions (umbilical and inguinal hernia repair, e.g.) * cognitive, audio-visual or linguistic handicap raising concern of complete understanding of the research project
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Score in multiple-choice-test | assessed 1-2 days after group allocation/exposure | Quiz with questions regarding background, indication, implementation, complications and postoperative course of the total extraperitoneal inguinal h ernioplasty (TEP) procedure. The questions asked check relevant aspects for the patient with regard to the planned operation. The structure of the multiple-choice quiz takes the single best option out of 12 questions. Maximum value of the test is 12 (12/12, highest score-best outcome), the lowest 0 (0/12, lowest score-worst outcome). The questions are clearly posed and the correct answer is based on current guidelines for the management of inguinal hernia, which have been published by the European Hernia Society (EHS), American Hernia Society (AHS), International Endo Hernia Society (IEHS) and the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery and Other Interventional Techniques (EAES) as a consensus document by HerniaSurge. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Spielberg State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) | assessed 1-2 days after group allocation/exposure | To test the effect of the intervention on anxiety before surgery, an anxiety score is determined using the Spielberg State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The inventory is based on a 4-point Likert scale and consists of 40 questions on a self-report basis. Scores range from 20 to 80 with higher scores indicating greater anxiety. |
| Individual Clinician Feedback (ICF) | assessed 30 days postoperatively at follow-up visit | Patient satisfaction with regard to doctor-patient communication is recorded by the validated ICF questionnaire. The ICF questionnaire (Picker Institute) comprises 38 items concerning the patient's experience of the examination atmosphere, the comprehensibility of the physician's statements, the participation in decisions, the course of the conversation as well as socio-demographic characteristics of the patient. The items are assessed on an 11-point Likert scale from 0 to 10, with 0 as the most critical and 10 as the most positive experience. |
| Numerical rating scale (NRS) | assessed 3 months postoperatively | To assess the effect on chronic pain, the pain is assessed by telephone using the NRS score approximately 3 months after the operation. The numerical rating scale (NRS) requires the patient to rate his or her pain on a scale from 0 to 10, in which 0 is no pain (best outcome) and 10 the worst pain imaginable (worst outcome). |
Countries
Switzerland
Contacts
Primary ContactFabian Lunger, MD,PhD
Outcome results
None listed