Development and use of videotaped instruction for preoperative education of the ambulatory gynecological patient.

The current trend of ambulatory surgery has reemphasized the need for preoperative patient education. As patients assume more responsibility for self-care, innovative strategies must be used to provide the short-term knowledge that is needed. The development and use of a preoperative videotape is discussed, with Orem's Self-Care Deficit Theory used as a nursing theory framework. The intervention was piloted on four subjects who expressed positive evaluation of the alternative educational strategy.