The Impact of a Patient Education Tool for Appendicitis
Condition: Appendicitis
MeSH terms: Appendicitis
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Hypothesis/Study question (brief introduction of the question studied; about 5 lines)

      Appendicitis is the most common acute surgical admission to the pediatric surgery service at
      the MCH. The need for surgery can provoke anxieties for patients. Patient education materials
      are meant to improve knowledge, set expectations, and improve the overall hospital experience
      for patients and their families, and are already being widely implemented for elective
      surgeries in the context of ERAS pathways. This study aims to develop an effective patient
      and family education tool, with the goal of improving patient education and satisfaction with
      care in the emergency surgery setting.

      Study objectives

        1. Utilize evidence-based methods to evaluate the success of implementation of a patient
           and family-centered education tool for appendicitis.

        2. Develop and validate a pre- and post- education patient satisfaction and experience
           survey in the realm of pediatric surgery.

        3. Inform the development of the education tool and survey through multidisciplinary and
           patient/family input.

        4. Implement a patient/family-centered education tool in an emergency surgical setting.
    

Detailed description: 
      Methodology / Study design

        1. Pilot phase Convenience sample of 10 patients diagnosed with acute appendicitis and
           their families will be selected to provide input on the patient and family experience
           survey tool. A convenience sample of 5 surgeons and 5 surgical nurses will also be
           solicited to provide feedback. The survey tool will be adapted based on the responses.

        2. Pre-implementation phase All patients and their families with acute appendicitis who
           present to clinic for their routine follow-up appointment or are called for their
           phone-call follow up will be eligible to take a survey. All responses are voluntary and
           anonymous. The survey swill be available on an online platform so invited participants
           may conveniently participate in the study.

        3. Post-implementation phase After the education pamphlet has been finalized and its
           distribution to families has begun, all patients and their families with simple or
           perforated appendicitis who had their initial presentation after the education pamphlet
           was available will be eligible to take a survey. All responses are voluntary and
           anonymous. The surveys will be available on an online platform so invited participants
           may conveniently and anonymously participate in the study.

      Qualitative and descriptive statistics will be used to detect a difference in patient
      experience and satisfaction between the those who received the education tool and those who
      did not.
    

Intervention name(s): Educational Book
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): An educational book with information about appendicitis for patients, parents and caregivers
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention model: Sequential Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Supportive Care
Keywords: Parental Productivity; Parental Anxiety; Simple Appendicitis; Perforated Appendicitis; Patient Education Material; Appendicitis; Patient Survey; Parental Survey