Preoperative education for reducing patient anxiety in elective hip and knee arthroplasty – a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors' conclusion
Findings show a trend in favour of education for reducing anxiety and postoperative pain, though effect sizes were small, and the amount of practical benefit remains questionable due to inter-trial clinical heterogeneity.
Study context
- Population
- Adults receiving elective hip or knee arthroplasty19 RCTs
- Comparison
- Education vs Control
- Outcome
- Preoperative anxiety
Methodological detailsrandom effects model
- Random effects model
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
Small but statistically significant improvement in patient anxiety, SMD
−0.37 (−0.63 to −0.11) (95% CI)
Further pooled results
Patient knowledge score
- Small but statistically significant improvement in knowledge, SMD
- +0.37 (+0.05 to +0.69) (95% CI)
Postoperative pain
- Small but statistically significant improvement in pain, SMD
- −0.31 (−0.47 to −0.15) (95% CI)
Time-to-discharge, quality-of-life, surgical complication rate
- Not statistically significant
Safety
Surgical complication rate
- Not statistically significant
Original publication
Preoperative education for reducing patient anxiety in elective hip and knee arthroplasty – a systematic review and meta-analysis. Perioper Med (Lond). Published 7 January 2026. doi:10.
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