PROMOTE: A patient-centred poster to support engagement in post-operative recovery – A quality improvement initiative

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programmes are well established across many surgical specialties. Successful implementation requires both multidisciplinary engagement and active patient participation. At our hospital, many patients were unaware they had a role in their recovery. To improve education, we developed a poster highlighting seven key elements using the acronym PROMOTE: Pain relief, Respiratory exercises, Own clothes, Mobilisation, Oral hygiene, Taking away attachments, and Eating and drinking. Feedback from patients in the post-operative critical care unit showed the resource was well received, easily understood, and most wished they had received it pre-operatively to help manage expectations and reduce anxiety.