High levels of psychological difficulty are often reported by patients with an open fracture. These patients frequently describe feeling distressed by the initial appearance of their scars and can struggle to adjust and prepare for the challenges they face on discharge from hospital. Patients' expectations about the appearance of their wounds and their role in the recovery process may be aided with access to visual material that the patient and their family can revisit as often as is helpful to them.~Therefore, the multi-disciplinary team involved in the care of these patients has developed two novel patient information videos. They include practical advice from staff about the recovery process, images of the wound throughout the healing process and ways to cope with the range of emotional responses that patients report following an open fracture. The experiences of previous patients are also included. The aim of this project is to evaluate the impact of viewing these videos on patients' ability to follow treatment recommendations made by the team, as well as their psychological and social functioning, as measured by standardised questionnaire responses. Additionally, the patient's experience of viewing the videos, in terms of how relevant and useful they found them, will be evaluated.~All adult patients with an open fracture attending the John Radcliffe Hospital Major Trauma Centre will be eligible to take part (unless they have a diagnosis of dementia, active delirium or traumatic brain injury). Participation will involve completing questionnaires whilst in hospital (within the first week and prior to discharge) and at a routine 3-month follow-up appointment. Patients will be randomly selected to either view the videos or receive treatment as usual. The questionnaire responses of patients in these two groups will be compared to help evaluate the videos.
The multi-disciplinary team involved in the care of major trauma patients with open fractures has developed two novel patient information videos. They include practical advice from staff about the recovery process, images of the wound throughout the healing process and ways to cope with the range of emotional responses that patients report following an open fracture. The experiences of previous patients are also included. The aim of this project is to evaluate the impact of viewing these videos on patients' ability to follow treatment recommendations made by the team, as well as their psychological and social functioning, as measured by standardised questionnaire responses. Additionally, the patient's experience of viewing the videos, in terms of how relevant and useful they found them, will be evaluated.