1453 Assessing Procedure-Specific Risk Discussion in Elective Arthroplasty

Introduction Improper consent is a failure of clinical care and also a major cause of litigation within health care authorities. 4% of surgical negligence claims are attributed to improper consenting in the NHS, with an average settlement fee of approximately £40,000 per claim. Improving quality of consenting therefore not only improves patient care but could also reduce healthcare cost. Method A retrospective analysis of 100 elective hip and knee arthroplasties at a district general hospital in the South of England. Clinic letters and consent forms were reviewed, using the British Orthopaedic Association (BOA) consent proforma as a comparison standard. Quality of consent was reviewed based upon inclusion of BOA associated risks. Results 40% of hip arthroplasty clinic letters and 20% of knee arthroplasty clinic letters did not include a risk discussion. Common risks on consent forms when compared to BOA standards were 84.8% compliant in knees and 88.8% in hips. Less common risks on consent forms were 100% compliant in knees and 96% in hips. Rare risks on consent forms were 74.8% compliant in knees and 57.7% in hips. Notably blood clots and infection were consented for in almost all patients. Risk of death meanwhile, was only consented for 62% of the time, across both procedures. Conclusions Standard of consenting in this audit falls short of BOA standards. Improvement is needed to improve patient care and avoid medical litigation. An integrated electronic form linking consent process of both outpatient and pre-operative review could be a beneficial intervention.

THE DIAL-UP BLUES: OPINIONS ON TELE-HEALTH AND BROADBAND AMONG RURAL RESIDENTS

Findings from several AARP telephone studies on Caregiving and telehealth will be presented. Starting in 2017, AARP began collecting data on telehealth issues in the caregiving studies. As the amount of data began to grow, patterns of telehealth use began to emerge. Using a sample of 1,000 respondent’s age 45-plus, the data shows respondents are generally supportive of the telehealth. Telehealth activities are often billed as a way to reduce healthcare cost and to provide much needed healthcare to geographically isolated populations particularly those residing in rural areas. A key component to accessing telehealth services is having access to adequate broadband which can be challenging in rural communities. Data shows that older adults (65+) are less likely to be very interested in telehealth services. Research finds that those employed, women and AARP members are all more likely to be very interested in using the telehealth services.

Helicobacter pylori Infection following Endoscopic Resection of Early Gastric Cancer

The role of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in patients following endoscopic resection of early gastric cancer (EGC) remains unclear. This article presents a review of literature published in the past 15 years. H. pylori‐mediated persistent methylation levels are associated with the development of metachronous gastric cancer. The methylation of certain specific genes can be used to identify patients with a high risk of metachronous gastric cancer even after H. pylori eradication. H. pylori eradication after endoscopic resection should be performed as early as possible for eradication success and prevention of metachronous precancerous lesions. Although whether the eradication of H. pylori could prevent the development of metachronous cancer after endoscopic resection is controversial, several meta‐analyses concluded that H. pylori eradication could reduce the incidence of metachronous gastric cancer significantly. In addition, H. pylori eradication in gastric cancer survivors after endoscopic resection could reduce healthcare cost and save lives in a cost‐effective way. Taken together, H. pylori eradication after endoscopic resection of EGC is recommended as prevention for metachronous precancerous lesions and metachronous gastric cancer.