Patient preference for the pre-anesthesia evaluation: Telephone versus in-office assessment

• Published in: Journal of clinical anesthesia 2016-06, Vol.31, p.145-148
• Main Authors: Lozada, Manuel James, DO, Nguyen, John T.C., MD, Abouleish, Amr, MD, Prough, Donald, MD, Przkora, Rene, MD, PhD
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ambulatory Care; Anesthesia; Anesthesia & Perioperative Care; Anesthesiology; Anesthesiology - methods; Bone surgery; Clinics; Cost control; Diagnostic tests; Family medical history; Female; Gender; Hospitals; Humans; Hurricanes; Interviews as Topic - methods; Male; Medical History Taking - methods; Medical History Taking - statistics & numerical data; Medical personnel; Medical records; Middle Aged; Nurses; Pain Medicine; Patient assessment; Patient Preference - statistics & numerical data; Patient satisfaction; Polls & surveys; Pre-anesthesia evaluation; Prospective Studies; Studies; Surgery cancellation; Survey; Telemedicine; Telephone
• ISSN: 0952-8180; 1873-4529
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinane.2015.12.040

Abstract Study objective Pre-anesthesia evaluation (PAE) is designed to reduce patient and family anxiety, identify pre-existing health issues, avoid surgical delays, minimize costs, and tailor an anesthetic plan. If PAE requires a clinic visit, patients must take time off work and may incur travel and childcare costs. A telephone-based Preoperative Assessment Clinic can minimize patient inconvenience, while maintaining high-quality patient care and improving efficiency. We assessed patient satisfaction with a telephone PAE and determined whether patients preferred a telephone PAE or a conventional clinic visit. Design Prospective, institutional review board–approved study. Setting University hospital. Patients We conducted an IRB-approved telephone survey of 75 adult, post-operative patients. Interventions Telephone survey. Measurements Patients were asked about their preference for a telephone PAE over an in-person evaluation. Survey questions included assessment of patient satisfaction with their anesthesia evaluation, operation, and anesthetic delivered. Delays and day of surgery cancellations were reviewed. Main results The majority (97%) of patients stated they preferred a telephone PAE. Patient satisfaction was unaffected by driving distance (30 ± 54 mi), ASA physical status or duration of surgery (169 ± 159 min). Even patients who were not satisfied with their anesthetic (N = 5) still preferred the telephone-based PAE. No increase in surgical delays or cancellation was noted. Conclusion The majority of patients in this survey preferred a telephone PAE. Given the large catchment area of our hospital of nine counties, telephone-based interviews add to patient convenience and likely increase compliance with the PAE. Even patients who live in close proximity to our hospital (< 5 mi) preferred a telephone assessment. A telephone-based PAE provides high patient satisfaction over a traditional office visit while increasing patient convenience. Larger studies are necessary to ensure that telephone PAEs compare well with in-person examinations.