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Bupa Hospitals launches new back patient information 14 October 2003 To mark ‘Back Care Awareness Week’ (13-17 October), Bupa Hospitals is launching a new comprehensive guide telling patients all they need to know about preparing for back surgery. Fortunately only a small number of people require surgery for back pain, but Bupa Hospitals recognise that coming into hospital can be an anxious time for any patient. With this in mind Bupa Hospitals has developed this booklet, the third in the series so far, aimed at making a patient’s stay in hospital as stress-free as possible. Well-informed patients also tend to benefit from fewer potential complications that can be associated with some treatments. The new booklet offers detail about the operation itself and preparations that can be made before being admitted to hospital as well as what to expect during the recovery stage. The booklets encourage patients to think about how some of their everyday tasks may be affected by their surgery. For example, many patients realise that they probably wouldn’t be able to drive immediately after back surgery but perhaps hadn’t thought about actually getting in and out of the car as a passenger. The new patient information covering hip and knee replacement surgery as well as back surgery aims to include all the pre and post-operative information a patient will need to know. The new approach for the booklets has been developed with the involvement of patients who were keen to reduce the amount of paperwork they received when coming into hospital yet remain informed about what would happen to them. Previously patients would have received both pre and post-operative instructions. Patients were also eager to obtain lifestyle information as well as that about their operation. This is now all in one booklet and includes a glossary of medical terms, where to go for further information and a place to note questions that may arise between consultations. Dr Annabel Bentley, assistant medical director at Bupa, explains the importance of health information: "There is lots of medical research proving the benefits of providing information to patients as part of their treatment. We know that well-informed patients suffer less stress and anxiety, have less pain and lower blood pressure after surgery, recover from their operation quicker, and also have better results with fewer complications. Dr Bentley added: “Information about the 'whys, whens and hows' of treatment was previously considered by many doctors as unnecessary for the patient to know. However, there is now much greater public awareness of health issues and greater need for information relevant to each patient. The new surgery booklets aim to address these information needs from a patient's perspective rather than from a doctor's perspective." The new patient information booklet looks at back surgery but is the third in the series so far. The previous booklets have offered advice about hip and knee replacement surgery. All the booklets include detail about what to expect after the operation, some helpful exercises where appropriate and lifestyle advice including how to cope with stairs after your surgery. The booklets contain plenty of practical advice for patients about their day-to-day activities and how these will be affected by having surgery, including bathing and showering, driving, travel and even sex. Dr Bentley explains in more detail the benefit of such information: “Information about surgery not only helps people prepare for an operation but is also understood to contribute to their rehabilitation afterwards. “Of course, health information is not a cure all. It is only one part of the jigsaw that makes up ‘patient-centred’ care and treatment. A positive relationship with your doctor, nurses and physiotherapy team, an efficient hospital environment and good communication between clinicians are all essential.” In addition a full range of health information is available on www.bupa.co.uk covering many subjects.
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