Ambulatory Orthopaedic Surgery Patients Knowledge with Internet-Based Education

There is a growing need for patient education and evaluation of the outcomes of it. The aim of this study was to compare the ambulatory orthopaedic surgery patients' knowledge with Internet-based education and face to face education with a nurse. The following hypothesis was set: Internet-based patient education (experiment) is as effective as face to face education with a nurse (control) in increasing patients' level of knowledge and sufficiency of knowledge. In addition the correlations of demographic variables were tested. The patients were randomised to either the experiment (n=72) or to a control group (n=75). Empirical data were collected with two instruments. Patients in both groups showed improvement in their knowledge during their care. Patients in experiment group improved their knowledge level significantly more in total than those patients in control group. There were no differences in patients' sufficiency of knowledge between the groups. Knowledge was correlated especially with patients' age, gender and earlier ambulatory surgery. As a conclusion, with the Internet-based education could achieve positive results on patients' knowledge. Internet is usable method in ambulatory care.