Impact of patient educational interventions in hand and upper extremity surgery: a scoping review

Hand and upper extremity surgery is increasingly performed in ambulatory settings, placing the onus on patients to manage their postoperative recovery. Effective communication, comprehension, and application of postoperative instructions are subsequently integral for functional recovery. While the readability of educational materials employed has been evaluated, the media used in hand and upper extremity surgery and their impact on postoperative outcomes have not been comprehensively synthesized. This scoping review aims to characterize existing patient educational interventions used in hand and upper extremity surgery and narratively synthesize their reported effects on postoperative recovery, unplanned encounters, and patient-reported outcomes (PROMs).