Received Knowledge of Care as Evaluated by Patients and Their Significant Others: A Feedback-Register Study.
Saija Inkeroinen, Heli Virtanen, Jouko Katajisto and 2 others
PMID 40616213WHAT IT FOUND
Patients and significant others rated knowledge received about hospital care as positive overall, but feedback was less positive before care, among significant others, emergency admissions and lower perceived quality.
Nurses should pay attention to education before care, emergency care and significant others.
Key findings
01Overall, patients and significant others rated the knowledge they received about care as positive on a 1-to-5 feedback survey, with a mean score of 4.33.
02Feedback about knowledge before care was less positive than during or after care, with means of 4.37 before, 4.48 during and 4.47 after on the 1-to-5 scale.
03Patients gave more positive feedback than significant others, and emergency admissions and lower perceived quality of care were connected to less positive feedback.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The feedback was voluntary, so responders may not represent all patients and significant others. The exact number of individuals is unknown, and feedback could not be linked to the same patient, significant other, diagnosis, condition or care details. The data came from one hospital district and from 2019, before pandemic-related changes in care. Text messages were sent to all patients after discharge, while surveys required active choice, so the channels may attract different feedback. Feedback can be overly positive, and the large sample can make small differences statistically significant without clear clinical meaning. The survey's measurement properties were not fully tested, and the high internal consistency needs further checking. Significant others' ratings may reflect their own expectations and involvement, which were not measured.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the positive ratings as proof that nurses' patient education is effective. The study measured voluntary self-reported feedback, not an education intervention or patients' actual knowledge, and the authors note feedback can be overly positive.