673 Is There a Need for Patient Education and Empowerment Through Information Leaflets? – a Quality Improvement Project

Aim Patient information leaflets, which are supplied by NHS trusts, represent an underutilized resource within our surgical department. Despite patients expressing a keen interest in accessing these informational materials, there is currently no automatic provision. This study seeks to measure the existing usage and knowledge levels concerning these leaflets among healthcare workers, while also evaluating patients' attitudes towards receiving them. Method Employing the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle methodology, we executed a Quality Improvement Project through the administration of questionnaires. In the initial PDSA cycle (PDSA-1), we evaluated clinicians' awareness of the accessibility and current utilization of information leaflets. Subsequently, in the second PDSA cycle (PDSA-2), our focus shifted to comprehending the patient's perspective and attitude towards these informational materials. Results In PDSA-1, involving doctors in the general surgical department, 54.2% were aware of trust information leaflets, with only 8.2% routinely providing them to patients. A concerning 87.5% didn't know how to access these leaflets. PDSA-2 revealed that 80% of inpatients didn't receive leaflets, while 73.33% desired them. Of those, 83.3% (23.3% extremely important, 40% very important, 20% somewhat important) believed leaflets were crucial for informed treatment decisions. Conclusions The study underscores the underutilization of NHS trust-supplied patient information leaflets in our surgical department. Clinician awareness and patient accessibility gaps were evident in PDSA-1 and PDSA-2. The disconnect between patient interest and leaflet provision highlights an opportunity for improvement. We recommend implementing an automatic provision of information leaflets and enhancing clinician awareness to bridge the gap, fostering better patient engagement and informed decision-making in our department.