AI-Assisted Patient Education Before Suturing in Minor Trauma

Description

Patients scheduled to undergo suturing for minor trauma in the emergency department frequently experience anticipatory pain and anxiety before the procedure. These experiences may negatively affect perceived pain, cooperation with treatment, adherence, satisfaction, and the overall care experience. However, the realities of emergency department practice, including crowding, high patient volume, staff shortages, and increased workload, may limit effective nurse-patient communication and comprehensive patient education. Patients awaiting suturing for minor trauma often experience uncertainty, prolonged waiting, fear of the procedure, and concern about pain. These factors may increase anxiety, which can further intensify pain perception and negatively influence patients' cooperation with treatment and satisfaction with care. Previous reports indicate that many patients waiting in emergency departments seek information about waiting times, care processes, and their medical conditions, highlighting a substantial need for accessible and reliable information. During this waiting period, patients may increasingly use artificial intelligence-based digital resources to obtain information about their health condition and the procedure they are about to undergo. However, information generated by artificial intelligence may be inaccurate, incomplete, or insufficiently tailored to the clinical context. Therefore, such information should be reviewed and validated by healthcare professionals before being provided to patients. This study aims to evaluate the effect of an artificial intelligence-assisted patient education material delivered during the pre-suturing waiting period on pain and anxiety levels among patients with minor trauma in the emergency department. It is also expected that the educational material developed within the scope of this study may contribute to patient education and supportive care in emergency department settings.

Interventions

• AI-Assisted Pre-Suturing Patient Education (Behavioral)
  The intervention consists of an AI-assisted patient education material provided to patients with minor trauma during the waiting period before suturing in the emergency department. The educational content includes information about the purpose and steps of the suturing procedure, what patients may experience during the procedure, pain-related expectations, and measures intended to reduce uncertainty and anxiety before suturing. The educational material is developed with the assistance of artificial intelligence. All AI-assisted content is reviewed, clinically evaluated, and validated by healthcare professionals before being presented to participants to ensure accuracy, appropriateness, and consistency with clinical practice. Participants receive the educational intervention in addition to routine emergency department care before the suturing procedure.

Eligibility criteria

Conditions

Locations

• Ankara Provincial Health Directorate Ankara Training And Research Hospital, Adult Emergency Department — Ankara, Turkey (Türkiye)