Patients’ and Care-givers’ Knowledge and Practice regarding Prevention of Complications of Immobilisation with a View to Develop an Information Booklet

Abstract

This study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital with the objectives to assess the knowledge and practice of immobilised orthopaedic patients and their care-givers regarding prevention of complications of immobilisation and to seek relationship between knowledge and practice scores with the selected demographic variables. A quantitative approach with descriptive survey design was used. A semi structured questionnaire, to assess the knowledge and a checklist to assess the practice of both patients and their care-givers were used for data collection. Purposive sampling technique was employed to select 50 patients admitted in the orthopaedic ward and their 50 care-givers. The study showed that most of the subjects (both patients and care-givers) were in the age group of 20-30 years and married and spending more than 12 hours with their patient to care for them. There was no significant relationship between the knowledge scores of study subjects (patients as well as care-givers) with their practice scores. There was a significant relationship between the knowledge scores of patient and care-givers in specific areas showing consistent knowledge deficit in both patient and care-givers in those areas. There was no significant relationship between the knowledge and practice scores with the selected demographic variables in both patients and their care-givers. An Information Booklet on prevention of complications of immobilisation was developed and disseminated.