Implementation of Standardized Educational Material in Outpatient Pediatric Surgery: A Pilot Study

Introduction: Caregiver health literacy is affected by both personal knowledge and education provided by clinicians. Literature on implementation of educational materials into pedi-atric surgical clinical practice is scarce. We developed plain-language picture-based educational material and implemented it in a pediatric surgery clinic. We assessed both caregiver and clinician satisfaction before and after implementation. Methods: Picture-based educational material was developed for epigastric/umbilical/ inguinal hernias/hydroceles, gastrostomy/gastrojejunostomy tube creation, and soft tissue masses and implemented in an academic pediatric surgery clinic. Pediatric surgeons (n = 12), clinic nurses (n = 4), and physician extenders (n = 2) were surveyed before and after a 4-week pilot implementation period. In parallel, parents of children (0-18 y) completed a 19-item postpre electronic survey capturing demographics, self-professed level of prior knowledge, and opinions regarding the material. Descriptive statistics were performed. Results: Clinician response rate was 88% (pre) and 72% (post). Preimplementation, clinicians overwhelmingly reported repetitive parental counseling, need to redraw diagrams, and anticipation of improvement in workflow with standardized materials. Post -implementation, most clinicians felt the material was easy to use (76%), beneficial (77%), and perceived satisfaction in parents they were counseling (77%). Caregiver response rate was 100%. The majority reported their understanding improved after reviewing the ma-terial, found the material easy to understand and helpful, were more comfortable man-aging their child's condition, and recommended continued use of the material during visits.Conclusions: Results indicate clinician satisfaction and willingness to use standardized educational material during outpatient visits, as well as caregiver satisfaction and self-reported improved understanding. These findings support further development and use of standardized educational material for pediatric surgical conditions and procedures. 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.