Using a web application to improve satisfaction among patients undergoing surgery

Abstract The study explores whether patient satisfaction is increased when a web application is used to inform patients about a surgical intervention. A randomised single centre study was conducted. The study population consisted of 32 patients that underwent an elective colon resection for colon cancer (15 in the experimental and 17 in the control group; patient characteristics were equally divided between both groups). The study group got the information with the web application from the nurse practitioner at least 10 days before surgery; the control group was given the standard oral information by the nurse practitioner. Satisfaction level was measured with a validated patient satisfaction questionnaire directly after giving the information and two weeks after the surgical intervention. The results indicate that patients are more satisfied when information is given by means of a web application. Given that expectations regarding hospital admission are more realistic when information is given in the optimal manner, this has consequences for the use of multimedia information techniques in healthcare in the near future.