# Knowledge, attitude, and practice of orthopedic surgery patients regarding the prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism

## TL;DR

This study examines how well orthopedic surgery patients understand and manage venous thromboembolism prevention and treatment.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of orthopedic surgery patients regarding VTE prevention in Inner Mongolia.

## Key findings

- Patients showed insufficient knowledge but generally positive attitudes about VTE prevention.
- There was a strong positive correlation between attitude and practice in VTE prevention.
- Structural equation modeling confirmed that attitude significantly influences practice behaviors.

## Abstract

To assess the current status of knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding the prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) among orthopedic surgery patients.

A cross-sectional study was conducted between January and October, 2024, in the Inner Mongolia region at a single center. A self-developed structured questionnaire (informed by relevant VTE guidelines and prior KAP studies) was used to collect demographic information and KAP scores related to VTE prevention and treatment. Descriptive statistics, group comparisons, correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling were conducted.

A total of 545 orthopedic surgery patients participated in the study. Among the respondents, 279 (51.19%) were male, and 252 (46.24%) reported a prior history of VTE. Additionally, 326 patients (59.82%) reported using anticoagulant medications for thrombosis prevention. The knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 4.48 ± 2.37 (possible range: 0–12), 30.28 ± 5.64 (possible range: 8–40), and 23.65 ± 5.54 (possible range: 6–30), respectively. In the correlation analysis, significant positive correlations were found between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.128, p = 0.003), as well as attitude and practice (r = 0.448, p < 0.001), respectively. Structural equation modeling showed that attitude was positively associated with practice (standardized β = 0.907, p = 0.002).

Orthopedic surgery patients demonstrated insufficient knowledge but generally positive attitude and proactive practice concerning the prevention and treatment of VTE. Enhancing patient education on VTE prevention and management should be prioritized to bridge the knowledge gap, leveraging their positive attitude to improve compliance with evidence-based practice.