Audit to evaluate the patients view, regarding the preoperative visit of the patients by the anaesthetist

Preoperative anaesthetistic visit is an essential component in the present day management of anaesthesia. This not only allows the anaesthetic risk assessment of the patient but also gives an opportunity to optimise the patient. We seldom consider the patient’s views on this visit by the anaesthetist. The aim of this audit was to get an understanding of the patients outlook towards these visits. The audit was carried out in three hundred patients using a questionnaire 86.6% responded. 90% of them had benefited from the preoperative visit by the anaesthetist. Only 16.5% were satisfied with the time the anaesthetist spent with them. This was mainly with the patients under going major surgery. Only 27.3% patients were satisfied with the explanation of the anaesthetic procedure. 5% of the patients were not satisfied with the opportunity given for them to express their views. 6.5% of the patients became more anxious after the anaesthetist’s visit.

Key words: preoperative; procedure  

DOI: 10.4038/slja.v19i1.2869

Sri Lankan Journal of Anaesthesiology Vol.19(1) 2011 pp.39-42