Does Structured Patient Education Reduce the Peri-Operative Anxiety and Depression Levels in Elective Chest Surgery Patients? A Double-Blinded Randomized Trial of 300 Patients

Abstract

Psychological distress associated with surgery is an emerging issue. The study was conducted to assess the impact of structured patient education viz-a-viz routine patient education on anxiety and depression levels in patients undergoing elective chest surgery. It is a prospective, double-blind randomized study, conducted from February 2019 to February 2020 at a tertiary care center in India, on patients who underwent elective chest surgeries. A total of 300 patients were randomized using a computer-generated randomization sequence, into 2 equal groups (150 subjects each). Study group included patients who underwent structured patient education (Group A), whereas control group included patients who underwent routine patient education (Group B). The 2 groups were compared for anxiety and depression levels at admission as well as discharge using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Also, at the time of discharge, the groups were compared for the effectiveness of patient education using a validated Questionnaire B. In comparison to routine education, patients receiving structured education showed significantly lesser scores for anxiety and depression at discharge (P < .001). Also, structured patient education proved to be effective in comparison to the routine education in educating the patients in all parameters as determined by the Questionnaire B (P < .05). It can be concluded that structured educational intervention is strongly recommended in patients undergoing chest surgery which can help alleviate perioperative anxiety and depression. Such intervention helps patient get an understanding of the surgical procedure and assist them in facing the condition in a better way.