Multimedia Education to Reduce Anxiety and Improve Care Awareness in Cataract Surgery Patients

The Effectiveness of Multimedia Health Education Interventions in Reducing Surgical Anxiety and Enhancing Care Awareness Among Cataract Surgery Patients

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of multimedia health education in reducing preoperative anxiety and enhancing self-care awareness among patients undergoing outpatient cataract surgery. A randomized group design will be employed, in which participants will receive either standard preoperative education or a multimedia-based intervention covering surgical procedures, precautions, and postoperative care. Primary outcomes include levels of surgical anxiety, assessed using validated anxiety scales, and self-care knowledge evaluated through structured questionnaires. Findings are expected to inform the development of patient-centered educational strategies and enhance perioperative care quality in cataract surgery settings.

This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of multimedia health education in reducing preoperative anxiety and improving postoperative care awareness among patients undergoing outpatient cataract surgery. A total of 118 patients scheduled for cataract surgery at an ophthalmology outpatient clinic will be randomly assigned to either the control group or the intervention group.

All participants will receive standard verbal preoperative instructions from their physician. In addition, the intervention group will view a 10-minute multimedia video covering the surgical procedure, precautions, and postoperative care. Baseline data-including demographics, visual acuity, physiological anxiety indicators, the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and a cataract-specific self-care knowledge questionnaire-will be collected during the final preoperative clinic visit.

Outcome data will be collected at three time points: before surgery, one week after surgery, and one month after surgery. Primary outcomes include changes in anxiety levels and self-care knowledge; secondary outcomes include physiological responses during surgery and postoperative visual recovery. The results are expected to support the use of multimedia education to enhance patient preparedness and care quality in cataract surgery.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged 18 years or older
• Diagnosed with cataract and scheduled for elective phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation (first-time surgery)
• Able to communicate in Mandarin or Taiwanese
• Blood glucose <250 mg/dL and HbA1c <8% if diabetic (assessed by attending physician)

Exclusion Criteria:

Diagnosed with dementia or psychiatric disorders

• History of previous cataract surgery
• Severe hearing impairment (certified disability without hearing aid)
• Systolic blood pressure >160 mmHg on the day of surgery
• Preoperative visual acuity less than 0.05
• Undergoing combined ocular procedures (e.g., vitrectomy) during cataract surgery
• Unable to use digital devices required for the intervention