Patient perceptions about anesthesia and anesthesiologists before and after surgical procedures

Autor(es)

Leite, Fernanda ^[1] ; da Silva, Leopoldo Muniz ^[1] ; Biancolin, Sckarlet Ernandes ^[1] ; Dias, Adriano ^[1] ; Machado Castiglia, Yara Marcondes ^[1]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Estadual Paulista Unesp, Dept Anesthesiol, Fac Med Botucatu, BR-18618970 Botucatu, SP - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: São Paulo Medical Journal; v. 129, n. 4, p. 224-229, JUL 7 2011.
• Citações Web of Science: 2

Resumo

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Anesthesiologist-patient relationships are established preoperatively and intraoperatively. These are opportunities for providing correct information about anesthesia/anesthesiologists, thereby improving outcomes. The aim here was to evaluate patients' perceptions about anesthesiologists before anesthesia and to identify whether the anesthetic care would change such perceptions. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective cross-sectional study using data obtained in 2007-2008, at a tertiary university hospital. METHODS: 518 patients aged 16 years or over were interviewed before and after anesthesia exposure. A questionnaire was used to determine patient characteristics and perceptions of anesthesia/anesthesiologists. RESULTS: The patients were 16-89 years of age and 59.8% had attended elementary school. 79.1% said that anesthesiologists were specialized physicians. Anesthesiologists' roles were associated with loss of consciousness (35.5% pre-anesthesia; 43.5% post-anesthesia), pain relief (29.7% pre-anesthesia, 31.7% post-anesthesia), vital sign monitoring (17.6% pre-anesthesia, 35% post-anesthesia; P < 0.05); and drug administration (10.8% pre-anesthesia, 43.9% post-anesthesia; P < 0.05). The level of confidence in the physician was rated high (82.2% and 89.8% pre- and post-anesthesia, respectively; P < 0.05) or intermediate (5.8% and 6.6% pre- and post-anesthesia, respectively; P < 0.05). The care provided by anesthesiologists was classified as: elucidating (52.8%), encouraging (52.6%), neutral (10.2%) and careless (0.8%). CONCLUSION: Patients' perceptions of anesthesiologists' roles were fairly good, but improvements in this relationship still need to be pursued, to achieve better outcomes. Anesthetic care was important in providing information, confidence and reassurance among patients, regarding their perceptions. Anesthesiologists should not miss opportunities to provide excellent professional care for patients, thereby improving anesthesia outcomes and their image. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 07/53835-1 - Visao do paciente sobre o anestesiologista e a anestesia no pre e no pos-operatorio.
• Beneficiário: SCKARLET ERNANDES BIANCOLIN GARAVAZZO
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Iniciação Científica
• Processo FAPESP: 07/54421-6 - Visão do paciente sobre o anestesiologista e a anestesia no pré e no pós-operatório
• Beneficiário: Yara Marcondes Machado Castiglia
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular