Abstract
BACKGROUND: The teach-back method is an effective approach for reinforcing patient education by clarifying and reviewing misunderstood concepts. AIM: To examine the effect of discharge training based on the teach-back method on discharge readiness and satisfaction in patients undergoing lumbar disc herniation surgery. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial using a pre-test-post-test design was conducted at two state hospitals in Northern Cyprus from November 2022 to December 2023. A total of 64 patients were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n = 32) or the control group (n = 32). Data were collected using the Discharge Education Satisfaction Scale, the Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale, and the Discharge Education Knowledge Test. The CONSORT 2010 flow diagram was followed. RESULTS: The mean ages of the intervention and control groups were 51.26 ± 11.92 years and 46.50 ± 11.73 years, respectively. Following the intervention, patients who underwent lumbar disc herniation surgery in the intervention group showed significantly higher scores compared to the control group (p < 0.05). These improvements were observed in overall discharge education satisfaction, discharge education knowledge, and all subdimensions of discharge readiness-including personal status, knowledge, and coping ability. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: Discharge education delivered using the teach-back method enhances satisfaction, knowledge, and discharge readiness in patients undergoing lumbar disc herniation surgery. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The full research protocol is available at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05695014).