Educating Brain Tumor Patients Using Patient-specific Actual-size Three-dimensional Printed Models

Patient education plays an essential role in patient-centered care as it enhances patient satisfaction and information comprehension. However, about 40-80% of the information patients receive from healthcare professionals is forgotten and about half of the information patients remember is incorrect. To give informed consent, patients must be able to understand and recall the discussed information correctly. This is especially important in brain tumor patients, in which different treatment options determine outcome and risks. The goal of treatment in brain tumors is resection as completely as possible, without damaging healthy brain tissue. To this end, patients must understand the complex relation of the tumor to healthy brain tissue. This relation is different in each patient and three-dimensional (3D) in nature. Current two-dimensional visual tools lack the ability to properly display these complex 3D relations. In this study, we will investigate the effect of the use of 3D models in patient education, taking into account patient specific factors that might act as confounders. We will conduct a case control, multi-center study in the Radboud University Medical Center (Radboudumc) Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC). Patients will be enrolled in the control group until inclusion for the control group is completed (n=30), after which patients will be enrolled in the intervention group (n=30). Patients will be cognitively tested using the Amsterdam Cognition Scale (ACS). After the consultation with their neurosurgeon, patients will be asked to fill out two questionnaires, consisting of two parts (patient experiences and information recall), one week apart.