surgeons

User-centered design of discharge warnings tool for colorectal surgery patients

User-centered design of discharge warnings tool for colorectal surgery patients

Readmission following colorectal surgery, typically due to surgery-related complications, is common. Patient-centered discharge warnings may guide recognition of early complication signs after colorectal surgery. User-centered design of a discharge warnings tool consisted of iterative health literacy review and a heuristic evaluation with human factors and clinical experts as well as patient end users to establish content validity and usability. Literacy evaluation of the prototype suggested >12th-grade reading level. Subsequent revisions reduced reading level to 8th grade or below. Contents were formatted during heuristic evaluation into 3 action-oriented zones (green, yellow, and red) with relevant warning lexicons. Usability testing demonstrated comprehension of this 3-level lexicon and recognition of appropriate patient actions to take for each level. Access Full Article.

Ventral Hernia Management: Expert Consensus Guided by Systematic Review

Ventral Hernia Management: Expert Consensus Guided by Systematic Review

To achieve consensus on the best practices in the management of ventral hernias (VH). Management patterns for VH are heterogeneous, often with little supporting evidence or correlation with existing evidence. A systematic review identified the highest level of evidence available for each topic. A panel of expert hernia-surgeons was assembled. Email questionnaires, evidence review, panel discussion, and iterative voting was performed. Consensus was when all experts agreed on a management strategy. Access Full Article.