A Look at Best Practices for Patient Education in Outpatient Spine Surgery

Following best practices for patient education helps ensure patients and their family members leave an ambulatory surgery center after a procedure with a functional understanding of all aspects of surgery, ongoing care, and postoperative expectations. Best practices for education of patients undergoing spine surgery in an ambulatory surgery center include a consistent and informed staff, involved patients and family members, patient‐specific education, and continual reinforcement of that education. Patient education needs to include topics such as expectations, the recovery process, and pain control.