Thesis Format
Monograph
Degree
Master of Science
Program
Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Supervisor
MacDermid, Joy
Abstract
Rotator cuff repair outcomes are influenced by patient expectations, influencing satisfaction and functional recovery. This study aimed to identify important patient expectations based on the literature and assess the feasibility of using REDCap, a secure, web-based platform for data collection, to collect preoperative expectations in a real-world setting.
A systematic review was conducted to determine key patient expectations, followed by an exploratory study of REDCap for data collection with patients undergoing rotator cuff repair.
The literature review indicated that pain and symptom relief were the most highly valued expectations, aligning with our exploratory study. Exploratory survey data were nearly complete, supporting further exploration of the use of REDCap as a tool for patient expectations. The limitations were the limited sample size during the pandemic, design flaw with our survey consent form. Future research should explore strategies to improve patient recruitment and engagement to maximize REDCap’s potential in orthopedic surgical research.
Summary for Lay Audience
Patients undergoing rotator cuff repair often have specific goals and expectations, such as pain relief and improved shoulder function. These expectations can significantly influence how satisfied they are after surgery and how well they recover. However, understanding and measuring these expectations consistently is challenging.
This study aimed to do two things: first, to identify patients most common and important expectations before rotator cuff surgery by reviewing existing research; and second, to assess whether a digital tool such as REDCap could be used to collect this information from patients in a real clinical setting. REDCap is a secure, web-based platform widely used in healthcare research to collect and manage data.
The literature review revealed that pain reduction and returning normal shoulder function were among the most important expectations for patients. We conducted a small feasibility study using REDCap to collect pre-surgery expectation data from patients scheduled for rotator cuff repair. Due to recruitment difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic, only four patients were enrolled. Those who participated had high completion rates of the surveys, demonstrating that the REDCap platform is user-friendly and suitable for collecting this type of information when designed correctly.
Although the small number of participants limits how broadly the findings can be applied, the results are promising. They suggest that with appropriate design and recruitment strategies, REDCap could be a useful tool for gathering patient expectation data in surgical settings. This information can help researchers and clinicians better understand what patients hope to gain from surgery, allowing for more informed discussions and potentially better outcomes.
In conclusion, we found that pain reduction and returning normal shoulder function were important expectations and this small feasibility study demonstrates that collecting patient expectations digitally is both feasible and well-received by patients. Future research should focus on improving recruitment methods to ensure more patients can take part in similar studies.
Recommended Citation
Boudreau, Jacob, "Evaluating Patient Expectations in Rotator Cuff Repair Surgery and the Use of Digital Tools for Preoperative Assessment" (2025). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 10875.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/10875
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.