Fulfilment of knowledge expectations among family members of patients undergoing
arthroplasty: a European perspective
Sammanfattning
In the recovery process of arthroplasty patients, their family members play an important role due
to short hospital stay and increased age of patients. Family members need to have knowledge to be
able to support the patient. The aim of this study was to explore expected and received knowledge in
family members of arthroplasty patients and describe the relationships between the differences in
received and expected knowledge and background factors, country, information and control
preferences and access to knowledge. The study was conducted in six European countries (Cyprus,
Greece, Finland, Iceland, Spain and Sweden). The study design was cross-cultural, prospective and
comparative with two measurement points: pre-operative and at discharge from hospital. Knowledge
Expectations of significant other-scale and Krantz Health Opinion Survey were used before surgery
and Received Knowledge of significant other-scale and Access to Knowledge at discharge. Patients
undergoing elective hip or knee arthroplasty in seventeen hospitals were asked to identify one family
member. The sample size was decided by power calculation. A total of 615 participants answered the
questionnaires at both measurements. Family members perceived to receive less knowledge than
they expected to have, most unfulfilled knowledge expectations were in the financial, social and
experiential dimensions of knowledge. Seventy-four per cent of participants had unfulfilled knowledge
expectations. Increased access to information from healthcare providers decreased the difference
between received and expected knowledge. Compared to family members in southern Europe, those
in the Nordic countries had more unfulfilled knowledge expectations and less access to information
from healthcare providers. The evidence from this study highlights the need to involve the family
members in the educational approach.