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ECONOMICS, EDUCATION, AND POLICY

The Effect of Detailed, Video-Assisted Anesthesia Risk Education on Patient Anxiety and the Duration of the Preanesthetic Interview: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Cornelie Salzwedel, Cand. Med.^*, Corinna Petersen, PhD, Irmgard Blanc, MD^*, Uwe Koch, MD, PhD, Alwin E. Goetz, MD^*, and Martin Schuster, MD, MA^*

From the *Department of Anesthesiology and Institute and Policlinic of Medical Psychology, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Martin Schuster, MD, MA, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin. Address e-mail to martin.schuster{at}charite.de.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Video-assisted patient education during the preanesthetic clinic visit is a new intervention to increase knowledge transfer to the patient regarding anesthesia procedure and risks. However, little is known about whether video-based patient education influences patient anxiety and the duration of the preanesthetic visit.

METHODS: Two hundred nine consecutive patients, who visited the anesthesia clinic before major operations, were randomly assigned to one of three groups: no-video (Group 1), video-before-interview (Group 2), and video-after-interview (Group 3). Anxiety levels were measured before and after the interview using the state trait anxiety inventory and a visual analog scale (anxiety). Patient knowledge regarding anesthesia technique, anesthesia-related risks, and patient satisfaction were assessed after the interview using standardized questionnaires.

RESULTS: There were no significant differences in anxiety levels and patient satisfaction among the three groups. Patient knowledge was significantly higher in the video groups compared with the no-video group. The duration of the preanesthetic interview was significantly extended in Group 2 (video-before) (23.1 ± 14.0 min), compared with Group 1 (no-video) (17.6 ± 7.2 min), and Group 3 (video-after) (18.3 ± 9.6 min). This difference was even more profound in subgroups of patients scheduled for anesthesia techniques with invasive monitoring.

CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that the use of a video for detailed anesthesia risk education does not change patient anxiety, but leads to a better understanding of the procedure and risks of anesthesia. When the video is shown before the preanesthetic interview, the interview is longer.

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