Evaluation of Patient's Knowledge of Prevention and Treatment of Burn Injuries

Burn injuries are amongst the most devastating causes of trauma worldwide. Preventive measures can be of great value in decreasing burn incidents. Increasing the knowledge and education of patients is a crucial step in this process.   

 In this prospective cross-sectional study, we evaluated 82 patients with burn injuries who were divided into two groups randomly during the 2018 to 2019 at Shahid Motahari Hospital, Tehran, Iran.  The first group received an e-Book, and the second group a paperback booklet to read before visiting their primary care. Besides, both groups received a questionnaire on their knowledge of burn injuries and prevention before and after the visit. The e-Book and paperback booklet included basic information about burn injuries and preventive measures. We compared the questionnaire results in both groups before and after reading the e-book and booklet using a paired t-test analysis.

There was a significant improvement in self-reported knowledge of burn prevention (P < 0.05; CI: 95%). Subjects receiving the eBook performed significantly had better post-survey (P < .01, 95% CI), despite equivalent pre-survey scores compared to those receiving the booklet.

Increased use of interactive educational modalities, such as an e-book, can benefit patients with knowledge of their disease and improve the quality of care. These modalities may increase compliance with the physician's recommendations regarding their disease states and treatments.