The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
Age
60–any
Sex
ALL
Healthy volunteers
Not accepted
You may be eligible if
Capacity to provide informed consent
Ability to communicate effectively by phone in English
Access to a working email address that the participant checks regularly
Scheduled for an upcoming outpatient consultation with one of our partner surgeons to discuss elective hernia surgery (femoral, ventral, inguinal, or umbilical)
No significant cognitive impairment that would interfere with meaningful participation
To ensure focus on surgical decisions, participants must fall into one of these categories:
1. Patients scheduled for an upcoming outpatient consultation with one of our partner surgeons specifically to discuss a potential surgical procedure
2. Patients who have undergone a surgical procedure performed one of our partner surgeons after January 1, 2025
3. Participants must meet criteria #1 or #2 above and must not have participated in Phase 1 of the study
You may not be if
Cognitive impairment sufficient to interfere with meaningful participation in Patient Priorities Care (PPC) discussions
Communication challenges that cannot be reasonably accommodated within the study protocol
Inability to complete patient-reported outcome measures independently or with minimal assistance
Lack of decision-making capacity regarding surgical care
