Abstract
Despite becoming commonplace in hospital, little research has been performed into whether tablet computers can directly impact on trauma inpatient experience.
We performed a prospective, questionnaire-based study to assess inpatient desire to view radiographs on tablet PCs and if so, whether this impacted on patient-rated outcomes of understanding and satisfaction.
We surveyed 50 consecutive trauma patients using a validated questionnaire, assessing involvement in decision-making, satisfaction with explanation of injury and management and whether viewing imaging was desirable. A further 50 patients were then offered the opportunity to view their images on a tablet during their consultant discussion. Data was collected assessing similar outcomes and also whether viewing images was beneficial.
Patients who viewed their images reported significantly higher levels of satisfaction with the explanation of their injury (p=0.01) and management plan (p=0.03) and involvement in the decision making process (p=0.0001). Additionally, 70% thought their explanation would not have been as effective had they not seen their images, with 88% stating that viewing them had a positive impact on their overall experience.
In conclusion, enabling trauma inpatients to view their images on a tablet is a worthwhile practice as it improves involvement in decision-making, patient satisfaction, perceived understanding and overall experience.
