Evaluating the Impact of Neurosurgical Educational Interventions on Patient Knowledge and Satisfaction: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Abstract Objective This systematic review endeavors to identify preoperative educational interventions for patients undergoing neurosurgical treatment and to assess their impact on patient knowledge acquisition and satisfaction. Methods The review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and utilized PubMed, Google Scholar, and MEDLINE databases. Studies evaluating using before-and-after cohort or control group comparison were identified between 2007 and 2019, and were independently scored and evaluated by three authors. Results Eighty-one articles were assessed for eligibility and fifteen met inclusion criteria. Patient educational interventions were text-based (2 studies), multimedia/video-based (3), mobile/tablet-based (5), or utilized virtual reality (2) or three-dimensional printing (3). Interventions were pathology-specific for cerebrovascular lesions (5), degenerative spine disease (2), concussion/traumatic brain injury (2), movement disorders (1), brain tumor (1), adolescent epilepsy (1), and other cranial/spinal elective procedures (3). Eleven studies (n = 18 – 175) documented patient knowledge acquisition using self-reported knowledge questionnaires (5) or more objective assessments based on true/false or multiple-choice questions (6). The vast majority of studies (10/11) reported statistically significant increases in patient knowledge after implementation of the intervention. Ten studies (n = 14 – 600) documented patient satisfaction using validated satisfaction surveys (2), Likert-scale surveys (6), or other questionnaires (2). While all studies reported increases in patient satisfaction following the intervention, only four were statistically significant. Conclusion Patient educational interventions utilizing various modalities are broadly applicable within neurosurgery and ubiquitously enhance patient knowledge and satisfaction. Interventions should be implemented when possible.