FP7.19 - PIXEL: Patient Information and eXplanation following Emergency Laparotomy

Abstract Aims 80% of patients that survive an emergency laparotomy (EmLap) report that they would have preferred more information on “what to expect” during their recovery; information is often delivered on a variable adhoc inpatient basis. This work aims to assess the robustness of a multi-disciplinary prepared patient information leaflet (PIL), by use of a patient questionnaire, and the Ensuring Quality Information for Patients (EQIP) toolkit. Methods A 21-page PIL was prepared by the EmLap MDT at our institute. The PIL’s objective was to outline common issues encountered during recovery, factors that could aid recovery, and signpost relevant resources. POLO enrolled patients (ClinicalTrials.Gov:NCT05281627) were asked their opinion by completion of an 8-point questionnaire at their 12-month follow-up. The PIL was also scored using the EQIP tool by an independent healthcare professional. Results 30 patients took part. 66.6% were female; average age was 63 years. 100% patients felt the PIL was easy to understand; 96.6% felt it covered all appropriate content. When asked about the length of the PIL: 93.3% felt the length of the leaflet was just right; 6.7% felt that the leaflet was too long. The PIL was found to be 93.3% compliant with the EQIP tool. Conclusions This is the first study to demonstrate the robustness of a PIL concerning EmLap recovery, suggesting it can be applied to a national audience. It is accepted that the leaflet is long; future iterations may benefit from being in a different format e.g. visuo-audio.