Objective Lower extremity varicose veins (LEVV) are common chronic venous disorders. Adherence to perioperative self-care plays a vital role in managing postoperative pain and enhancing long-term quality of life (QoL). Traditional health education models often struggle with issues such as incomplete information and high cognitive load. Methods This study utilized a single-blind, randomized controlled trial design. LEVV patients were randomly assigned to either an intervention group checklist-enhanced multimedia interactive education (CE-MIE), n = 96 or a control group multimedia interactive education (MIE), n = 97. Both groups received standard perioperative care and multimedia educational resources. The intervention group also used a structured checklist for a comprehensive, bidirectional verification of educational content (including ankle pump exercises, limb elevation and discharge instructions) and key skills, with patients required to score 80 points on elastic stocking wearing skills. Primary outcomes included QoL scores, pain levels, and complication rates. Results The CE-MIE group showed significantly better QoL scores at 1 month postoperatively compared to the MIE group (32.74 ± 4.72 vs. 35.49 ± 4.01, p 0.001). Additionally, the CE-MIE group reported lower pain scores on the 3rd and 7th postoperative days. However, there were no significant differences in QoL scores between the two groups at the 1-year follow-up, and long-term pain assessment at 1 year was not included in the study design as the primary focus was on acute recovery. Conclusion CE-MIE is an effective short-term intervention for improving QoL and pain management in LEVV patients. To address the challenge of long-term decay in intervention effectiveness, future studies should explore ways to extend the “in-hospital standardization” model to promote “out-of-hospital sustainability.”
Huang et al. (Thu,) studied this question.