Improving Patient Understanding of the Surgical Hospital Experience: Use of YouTube Video Playlist

As high patient anxiety prior to surgery has been linked to more severe and persistent pain after joint replacement surgery, the Orthopedic Surgery Department at Mayo Clinic in Florida created a playlist of 16 YouTube videos aimed at creating a virtual hospital experience for primary total hip and knee joint replacement patients. A pilot study was then performed to evaluate the potential impact of viewing this playlist on preoperative anxiety.

Methods: Each patient completed a Generalized Anxiety Disorder Score (GAD) assessment at the time of the routine preoperative clinic visit and were then randomized based on their gender, type of surgery, and initial GAD score to either the control group of standard education (education at face-to-face clinical visits as well as printed educational materials) or the treatment group of standard education plus access to the YouTube playlist. On the morning of the patient's surgery the same survey was repeated.