Instruments for Patient Education: Psychometric Evaluation of the Expected Knowledge (EKhp) and the Received Knowledge of Hospital Patients (RKhp).

PURPOSE: In patient education, there is a need for valid and reliable instruments to assess and tailor empowering educational activities. In this study, we summarize the process of producing two parallel instruments for analyzing hospital patients' expectations (Expected Knowledge of Hospital Patients, EKhp) and received knowledge (Received Knowledge of Hospital Patients, RKhp) and evaluate the psychometrics of the instruments based on international data. In the instruments, six elements of empowering knowledge are included (bio-physiological, functional, experiential, ethical, social, and financial). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The original Finnish versions of EKhp and RKhp were tested for the first time in 2003, after which they have been used in several national studies. For international purposes, the instruments were first translated into English, then to languages of the seven participating European countries, using double-checking procedure in each one, and subsequently evaluated and confirmed by local researchers and language experts. International data collection was performed in 2009-2012 with a total sample of 1,595 orthopedic patients. Orthopedic patients were selected due to the increase in their numbers, and need for educational activities. Here we report the psychometrics of the instruments for potential international use and future development. RESULTS: Content validities were confirmed by each participating country. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the original theoretical, six-dimensional structure of the instruments. For some subscales, however, there is a need for further clarification. The summative factors, based on the dimensions, have a satisfactory internal consistency. The results support the use of the instruments in patient education in orthopedic nursing, and preferably also in other fields of surgical nursing care. CONCLUSION: EKhp and RKhp have potential for international use in the evaluation of empowering patient education. In the future, testing of the structure is needed, and validation in other fields of clinical care besides surgical nursing is especially warranted.

Emotions of Orthopaedic Arthroplasty Patients: A European Survey.

METHODS: This was a pre/post-observational study examining patients' emotions before and during elective knee or hip replacement surgery for osteoarthritis in seven European Union countries to identify factors related to better emotional status at discharge. INSTRUMENTS: In addition to demographic data, information was collected on quality of life (EuroQoL five-dimension questionnaire), hospital expectations (Knowledge Expectations of Hospital Patients Scale), symptoms, and experienced emotions. ANALYSIS: Total negative emotions scores at baseline and discharge were transformed into median values. Multivariate analysis identified the baseline factors related to better emotional status at discharge. RESULTS: Patients (n = 1,590), mean age 66.7 years (SD = 10.6), had a significant reduction in the frequency of total negative emotions at discharge as compared with baseline. The multivariate model showed better health status (odds ratio [OR] = 1.012; p = .004), better emotional status at baseline (≥24 points), and shorter duration of hospital stay (OR = 0.960; p = .011) as independent factors associated with better emotional status at discharge (OR = 4.297; p = .001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing elective knee or hip replacement surgery for osteoarthritis improve their emotional status during hospitalization, with fewer negative emotions at discharge. Good emotional status, feeling of higher health status at baseline, and shorter hospitalization were independently associated with better emotional status at discharge.

Spinal Stenosis Patients' Visual and Verbal Description of the Comprehension of Their Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Spine surgery patients have difficulty comprehending the patient education aimed at preparing for surgery. PURPOSE: To assess the effect of a specific preoperative education approach (Knowledge Test Feedback Intervention, KTFI) on patients' verbal and visual understanding of their surgery. METHODS: In this randomized controlled trial, the intervention group (n = 50) went through the KTFI and routine education, whereas the control group (n = 50) received only routine patient education. Written description of the surgical procedure and drawing of incision were used as outcome measures at baseline, at hospitalization, at discharge, and 3 and 6 months after surgery. RESULTS: At baseline, half of the participants showed verbal and visual understanding of their surgery. During follow-up, understanding improved significantly with no statistically significant differences between the groups. CONCLUSION: Spinal stenosis patients' understanding of their surgical procedure is imperfect. Patient educators need to ensure patient learning by evaluating comprehension outcomes.

Skills and Practices of European Orthopedic Nurses in Empowering Patient Education.

Purpose: This study provides an overview of the self-defined skills and practices of European orthopedic nurses in empowering patient education. Nurses themselves have highlighted the necessity to enhance their own skills, but possibilities for further education have been limited. Methods: The data (n = 317 nurses) from a structured survey were collected during the years 2009-2012 in seven European countries with an EPNURSE-questionnaire (Empowering Patient Education from the point of view of Nurses). Results: Nurses considered patient education as an important part of their work and evaluated their own skills as good. However, their patient education practices were based more on practices on their ward and their own experience than on further education or evidence-based knowledge. On the other hand, lack of time for patient education and experienced overload were the major barriers experienced by nurses. Implications for Practice: Further education of orthopedic nurses in empowering evidence-based patient education is highly needed. Nurse leaders need to acknowledge the strong need for supporting nurses within clinical practice, improve their evidence-based knowledge and support practices that prioritize patient education within the hospital environment. Further international collaboration in nursing research and health-care organizations is desirable to reach these patient educational goals in clinical nursing practice.

Empowering education of arthroplasty patients' significant others in three Southern European countries.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between significant others' expected and received knowledge and their background characteristics in three Mediterranean countries (Cyprus, Greece, Spain), all of which deal with economic restrictions, have similar social support systems with the family members acting as family caregivers, and cultural similarities. BACKGROUND: Significant others' role is a key element in the older patients' postoperative recovery. However, people who take care of persons older than 65 years, as persons undergoing arthroplasty, are usually old themselves and need special support. DESIGN: Multicentre, descriptive, correlational study. METHODS: Data were collected preoperatively from 189 and postoperatively from 185 significant others using the Knowledge Expectations and the Received Knowledge of Significant Others Scales during 2010-2012. RESULTS: Approximately one-fourth of the significant others were older than 65 years. Their knowledge expectations were not adequately addressed in any of the countries; they expected to be educated more on biophysiological issues and received the lowest knowledge regarding financial issues. The highest difference between expected and received knowledge was found in Greece and the lowest in Cyprus. Significant others may be less prepared for dealing with situations at home due to the knowledge difference between expected and received knowledge. CONCLUSIONS: Significant others receive less education comparing to what they expect; therefore, they are not prepared for dealing with problematic situations during their old relative's recovery. This is especially important in Mediterranean countries, where family members often provide patient care. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: As health care is changing towards active participation of patients and family, it is important that nurses provide the education needed, as lower education may lead to poor patient outcomes and higher education may lead to significant others' anxiety. Nurses may keep in mind that older significant others do not report higher knowledge difference, but may have lower expectations.

Profiling of smokers and snuffers among young Finnish men - cross-sectional epidemiological study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to get new information from several sources about the background factors of Finnish smokers, snuffers, and dual users. Profiles of young smokers and snuffers were investigated in association with restorative treatment need, oral hygiene, eating habits, physical activity, body mass index (BMI), psychological and socioeconomic factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study group comprised 3420 conscripts. The data were collected from four different sources: a health examination including an oral health screening, a computer-based questionnaire for investigating individual background factors, a psychological test assessing cognitive skills, and the Cooper test. Statistical analyses comprised cross tabulation and binary logistic regression modelling. RESULTS: The odds for smoking were the greatest among those who had DT (Decayed teeth) > 0, used energy drinks or alcohol regularly, or whose parents were divorced. A score of ≥2900 m in the Cooper test, a higher physical exercise level, a higher own education level, and using sports drinks decreased the odds for smoking. The odds for snuffing were higher among those who ran >2500 m in the Cooper test, had a BMI of ≥25, used sports/energy drinks, or exercised regularly, and lower among those who achieved good results in the cognitive test. Using energy/sports drinks or alcohol was positively and a higher education level was negatively associated with dual use. CONCLUSIONS: Along with increasing prevalence of snuffing, heterogeneity is likely among snuffers. Good cognitive skills may prevent from smoking and snuffing.

Increased preoperative knowledge reduces surgery-related anxiety: a randomised clinical trial in 100 spinal stenosis patients.

PURPOSE: To assess the impact of preoperative knowledge on anxiety, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), disability, and pain in surgically treated spinal stenosis patients. METHODS: One hundred patients were randomised into an intervention group (IG, n = 50) or control group (CG, n = 50). Both groups received routine preoperative patient education. IG additionally underwent a feedback session based on a knowledge test. Primary outcome measure was anxiety at the time of surgery. HRQoL, disability, and pain constituted the secondary outcome measures during a 6-month follow-up. RESULTS: In IG, a significant reduction in anxiety was noted after the intervention, whereas in CG, anxiety reduced only after the surgery. In both groups, a significant improvement in HRQoL, disability, and pain was noticed at the 6-month follow-up, but there were no between-group differences. CONCLUSIONS: Higher knowledge level may reduce preoperative anxiety but does not seem to affect the self-reported clinical outcomes of surgery.

Total Joint Arthroplasty Patients' Education on Financial Issues and Its Connection to Reported Out-of-Pocket Costs-A European Study.

PURPOSE: Total joint arthroplasty is accompanied by significant costs. In nursing, patient education on financial issues is considered important. Our purpose was to examine the possible association between the arthroplasty patients' financial knowledge and their out-of-pocket costs. METHODS: Descriptive correlational study in five European countries. Patient data were collected preoperatively and at 6 months postoperatively, with structured, self-administered instruments, regarding their expected and received financial knowledge and out-of-pocket costs. FINDINGS: There were 1,288 patients preoperatively, and 352 at 6 months. Patients' financial knowledge expectations were higher than knowledge received. Patients with high financial knowledge expectations and lack of fulfillment of these expectations had lowest costs. CONCLUSION: There is need to establish programs for improving the financial knowledge of patients. Patients with fulfilled expectations reported higher costs and may have followed and reported their costs in a more precise way. In the future, this association needs multimethod research.

Spouse-related factors associated with quality of recovery of patients after hip or knee replacement - a Nordic perspective.

BACKGROUND: Today's shorter hospital stays mean that patients may need support from informal caregivers during their recovery period. The responsibility for providing this support shifts from the healthcare staff to their family members fairly early in the recovery process. Spousal caregivers are considered to be the primary caregivers as their relationship with the patient is more interdependent than that of other family members or caregivers. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to describe spouse-related factors that were associated with patients' quality of recovery on discharge from hospital after elective hip or knee replacement. DESIGN: The design was prospective, descriptive and comparative, with two measurements, before arthroplasty and on discharge. SETTINGS: Two Finnish, three Icelandic and two Swedish university or community hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: The sample consisted of spouses and patients. The inclusion criteria were as follows: age ≥18 years, ability to complete the questionnaires, and ability to understand Finnish/Icelandic/Swedish. The patients were asked to identify one family member. Spouses were those defining themselves as a wife, husband or cohabiting partner. Out of 463 spouses, 306 (66%) were included. The mean age of the included spouses was 64 years and 54% of them were females. METHODS: Self-reported instruments were used on expected and received knowledge, access to knowledge, emotional state and quality of recovery. RESULTS: If the spouses were or had been employed in healthcare or the social services, their partner had greater quality of recovery (p = 0.006). Spouses experiencing negative emotions had partners who experienced lower quality of recovery (p <0.001). Spouses who felt that nurses had enough time for them (p = 0.044) and explained matters concerning their family members' care and treatment (p = 0.011) had partners who experienced greater quality of recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Spouses' emotional state played an important role in the patients' quality of recovery (QoR), with uncertainty and depressive state as the main predictors. The importance of nurses explaining matters sufficiently to spouses was emphasized, while spouses' fulfilment of knowledge expectations was not associated with patients' recovery.

The Knowledge Test Feedback Intervention (KTFI) increases knowledge level of spinal stenosis patients before operation-A randomized controlled follow-up trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of a preoperative educational intervention on the knowledge level of patients with spinal stenosis. METHODS: One hundred spinal stenosis patients were randomized into a preoperative educational intervention group (IG, n=50) or a control group (CG, n=50). All the patients received routine preoperative education. In addition, the IG went through an empowering telephone discourse based on a knowledge test performed before admission to hospital. Data on patients' knowledge level were collected at baseline (after the treatment decision), admission to hospital, discharge from hospital and at 3 and 6 months follow-up. RESULTS: At baseline, there was no difference in the knowledge level of the study groups. At admission, the knowledge level was significantly higher in five of six dimension of empowering knowledge in the IG compared to the CG. During follow-up, the knowledge level within the study groups remained stable. CONCLUSION: A preoperative KTFI significantly increased the patients' knowledge level in most dimensions of empowering knowledge. PRACTICE IMPLICATION: KTFI is an effective method of preoperative education in patients with spinal stenosis.

The quality of recovery on discharge from hospital, a comparison between patients undergoing hip and knee replacement - a European study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To describe and compare the quality of recovery on discharge from hospital among patients undergoing elective hip or knee replacement. The study will also attempt to identify any predicting factors. BACKGROUND: Arthroplasty is commonly used for an increasing population of patients with osteoarthritis, and the recovery process starts directly after surgery. Today's shorter hospital stay may be a challenge for the patients during the early period of recovery. It is therefore important to identify factors associated with quality of recovery at discharge from hospital. DESIGN: A descriptive, comparative study including 12 hospitals in 5 European countries; Cyprus, Finland, Greece, Iceland and Sweden. METHODS: Consecutively included patients responded on: health-related quality of life, and emotions before surgery and at hospital discharge; quality of recovery, patient satisfaction and fulfilment of knowledge expectations. Related factors and associations were analysed separately for each kind of arthroplasty. In total, 865 patients were included (hip n = 413, knee n = 452). RESULTS: In the dimension of pain, patients undergoing hip replacement had significantly better quality of recovery compared to those undergoing knee replacement. Both patient groups experienced negative emotions before surgery that were related to poorer quality of recovery. Fulfilment of knowledge expectations has a limited effect on quality of recovery. Greater satisfaction with care predicted better quality of recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Negative preoperative emotions were related to poorer quality of recovery. For both kinds of arthroplasty, greater satisfaction with care was associated with better quality of recovery. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The result emphasises the need to detect patients in need of support in their preparation and recovery process, taking into account the perspective of their emotional state.

Information and Control Preferences and Their Relationship With the Knowledge Received Among European Joint Arthroplasty Patients.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of joint arthroplasties is increasing internationally, putting increased emphasis on patient education. PURPOSE: This study describes information and control preferences of patients with joint arthroplasty in seven European countries, and explores their relationships with patients' received knowledge. METHODS: The data (n = 1,446) were collected during 2009-2012 with the Krantz Health Opinion Survey and the Received Knowledge of Hospital Patient scale. RESULTS: European patients with joint arthroplasty had low preferences. Older patients had less information preferences than younger patients (p = .0001). In control preferences there were significant relationships with age (p = .021), employment in healthcare/social services (p = .033), chronic illness (p = .002), and country (p = .0001). Received knowledge of the patients did not have any relationships with information preferences. Instead, higher control preferences were associated with less received knowledge. CONCLUSION: The relationship between European joint arthroplasty patients' preferences and the knowledge they have received requires further research.

Empowering knowledge and its connection to health-related quality of life: A cross-cultural study: A concise and informative title: Empowering knowledge and its connection to health-related quality of life.

AIMS: Assess the association between patient education (i.e. empowering knowledge) and preoperative health-related quality of life, 6 months postoperative health-related quality of life, and the increase in health-related quality of life in osteoarthritis patients who underwent total hip or total knee arthroplasty. METHOD: This is a cross-cultural comparative follow-up study using structured instruments to measure the difference between expected and received patient education and self-reported health-related quality of life (EQ-5D) in Finland, Greece, Iceland, Spain and Sweden. RESULTS: The health-related quality of life was significantly increased 6 months postoperatively in all countries due to the arthroplasties. In the total sample, higher levels of empowering knowledge were associated with a higher health-related quality of life, both pre- and postoperatively, but not with a higher increase in health-related quality of life. On the national level, postoperative health-related quality of life was associated with higher levels of empowering knowledge in Finland, Iceland and Sweden. The increase in health-related quality of life was associated with levels of empowering knowledge for Greece. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, it can be concluded that the level of empowering knowledge was associated with high postoperative health-related quality of life in the total sample, even though there is some variation in the results per country.

Fulfilment of knowledge expectations among family members of patients undergoing arthroplasty: a European perspective.

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.

Difference between received and expected knowledge of patients undergoing knee or hip replacement in seven European countries.

The purpose of the study was to examine received and expected knowledge of patients with knee/hip arthroplasty in seven European countries. The goal was to obtain information for developing empowering patient education. The data were collected (during 2009-2012) from patients (n = 943) with hip/knee arthroplasty prior to scheduled preoperative education and before discharge with the Received Knowledge of hospital patient scale (RKhp) and Expected Knowledge of hospital patient scale (EKhp). Patients' knowledge expectations were high but the level of received knowledge did not correspond to expectations. The difference between received and expected knowledge was higher in Greece and Sweden compared with Finland (p < .0001, p < .0001), Spain (p < .0001, p = .001), and Lithuania (p = .005, p = .003), respectively. Patients' knowledge expectations are important in tailoring patient education. To achieve high standards in the future, scientific research collaboration on empowering patient education is needed between European countries.

Knowledge received by hospital patients--a factor connected with the patient-centred quality of nursing care.

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate and analyse the connection between the level of quality of nursing care and knowledge received by patients (N = 266, n = 226), response rate was 85%. The data were collected using two structured instruments: one measuring the quality of nursing care experienced by patients (The Good Nursing Care Scale, GNCS) and one measuring the received knowledge of hospital patients (RKHP). The data were collected at one (out of five) Finnish university hospitals, in all medical wards during 5 weeks in 2009. A clear association between the level of the quality of nursing care and the level of received knowledge was found: on the total level of instruments, correlation was strong (r = 0.705). Support of empowerment (GNCS) had statistically significant strong correlation between biophysiological knowledge (RKHP), (r = 0.718), and experiential knowledge (r = 0.633), (P ≤ 0.01). Furthermore, there was a strong correlation between nursing activities and biophysiological knowledge (r = 0.637). Higher age, sufficient advance information and better self-perceived health status were associated both with the level of the quality of nursing care and level of received knowledge. In the future, a special attention should be paid to the sufficient information for patients before their hospital stays.

Fulfilment of knowledge expectations and emotional state among people undergoing hip replacement: a multi-national survey.

BACKGROUND: Patient education in connection with hip replacement is intended to prepare patients for surgery, discharge and postoperative recovery. Patients experience symptoms and emotions due to disease or upcoming surgery which can affect how their knowledge expectations are fulfilled. OBJECTIVES: To describe the differences between received and expected knowledge in patients undergoing elective hip replacement in three Nordic countries, and to analyse how these differences are related to patients' characteristics, preoperative symptoms and emotions. DESIGN: A descriptive, prospective survey with two data collection points; before admission and at hospital discharge after surgery. SETTINGS: Two Finnish, three Icelandic and two Swedish hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: The population consisted of patients on a waiting list for hip replacement. Of the consecutively included patients, 320 answered questionnaires both before admission and at discharge and were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 64 years, and 55% were women. METHODS: Structured questionnaires were used; the knowledge expectations of hospital patients scale and self-reported scales for symptoms and emotions before admission and received knowledge of hospital patients scale at discharge. Fulfilment of knowledge expectation was assessed by calculating the difference between received and expected knowledge with a paired sample t-test. A multiple stepwise regression model was used to explain the variance of fulfilled knowledge expectations. RESULTS: Patients expected more knowledge than they received (p<0.001) and 77% of them had unfulfilled knowledge expectations. Patients with a higher level of education were more likely to have unfulfilled knowledge expectations. A higher level of education was also related to a greater difference between received and expected knowledge. The difference was more correlated with patients' emotions than their symptoms. A depressive state was the major predictor of the variance in the difference between received and expected knowledge. CONCLUSIONS: In order to better support patients by education it is necessary to assess their emotional state, educational level and knowledge expectations before surgery.

The fulfilment of knowledge expectations during the perioperative period of patients undergoing knee arthroplasty -- a Nordic perspective.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To describe the possible differences between knowledge expectations and received knowledge of patients undergoing elective knee arthroplasty in Iceland, Sweden and Finland and also to determine the relationship between such a difference and both background factors and patient satisfaction with care. BACKGROUND: Knee arthroplasty is a fast-growing and a successful treatment for patients with osteoarthritis. Patient education can improve surgery outcomes, but it remains unknown what knowledge patients expect to receive and actually acquire during the perioperative period and what factors are related to that experience. DESIGN: Descriptive, prospective survey. METHODS: In total, 290 patients answered questionnaires about their expectations (Knowledge Expectations of hospital patients - scale) before surgery and about received knowledge (Received Knowledge of hospital patients - scale) and satisfaction with hospital care (Patient Satisfaction Scale) at discharge. Sociodemographics, clinical information, accessibility to knowledge from healthcare providers (Access to Knowledge Scale), and preferences for information and behavioural control (Krantz Health Opinion Survey) were collected as background data. RESULTS: Patients' knowledge expectations were higher (mean 3·6, SD 0·4) than their perception of received knowledge (mean 3·0, SD 0·7). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that access to knowledge, information preferences and work experience within health- or social care explained 33% (R²) of the variation in the difference between received and expected knowledge. Patients reported high satisfaction with their care except regarding how their family was involved. CONCLUSION: Patients undergoing knee arthroplasty receive less knowledge than they expect, and individual factors and communication with healthcare providers during hospitalisation are related to their experience. The content of patient education and family involvement should be considered in future care. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The results strengthen the knowledge base on the educational needs of knee arthroplasty patients and can be used to develop and test new interventions.

Knowledge tests in patient education: a systematic review.

This study describes knowledge tests in patient education through a systematic review of the Medline, Cinahl, PsycINFO, and ERIC databases with the guidance of the PRISMA Statement. Forty-nine knowledge tests were identified. The contents were health-problem related, focusing on biophysiological and functional knowledge. The mean number of items was 20, with true-false or multiple-choice scales. Most of the tests were purposely designed for the studies included in the review. The most frequently reported quality assessments of knowledge tests were content validity and internal consistency. The outcome measurements for patient-education needs were comprehensive, validating knowledge tests that cover multidimensional aspects of knowledge. Besides the measurement of the outcomes of patient education, knowledge tests could be used for several purposes in patient education: to guide the content of education as checklists, to monitor the learning process, and as educational tools. There is a need for more efficient content and health problem-specific knowledge-test assessments.

Effects of education of paediatric patients undergoing elective surgical procedures on their anxiety - a systematic review.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To identify and critically appraise studies addressing the implementation of education for children aged 2-12 years undergoing elective surgical procedures and to determine whether education is associated with improvements in children's anxiety and other emotions. BACKGROUND: Children undergoing surgery often experience anxiety, which may lead to negative health outcomes, such as increased pain, feeding difficulties and sleeping problems. Education of children about their condition according to their individual needs may be correlated with reduced anxiety. DESIGN: Systematic review. METHODS: A database search in MEDLINE, PsycInfo, Cochrane Library and CINAHL was carried out during February 2011. Using the PICOS acronym, the query was organised into a searchable foreground question: the studies should evaluate (Objective) the effects of education (Intervention) compared with the standard preparation (Control) for children aged 2-12 years old undergoing elective surgeries (Population). The results would be based on randomised controlled studies (Study design). In total, 475 articles were yielded, from which 45 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility, and finally, 16 studies were included in the review. RESULTS: In 12 of the 16 studies, children in the education groups reported lower anxiety scores. In two studies, no statistically significant effect of education was reported on anxiety. Moreover, education had an age-related effect in two studies, by being more effective to children older than four to six years and having a negative effect on younger children's anxiety. Parents of children in the education groups experienced lower anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: Education seems to be especially effective in the reduction in older children's anxiety and to have a negative effect on younger children's anxiety. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Education can be incorporated into the care provided to children aged four to six years or older undergoing elective surgical procedures, according to their individualised needs.