Key result
Patients who considered continuity of anesthesia care important but received divided care had a higher mean dissatisfaction score compared to those who received continuous care.
Why the study?
No prospective cohort study using a validated questionnaire had assessed patients' expectation and perception of divided anesthesia care and its influence on patient satisfaction.
Does divided anesthesia care affect patient satisfaction based on patient expectations of continuity?
Observational (n=484)
No
Does divided anesthesia care affect patient satisfaction based on patient expectations of continuity?
Patient satisfaction with anesthesia care is significantly lower when patients consider continuity of care important but receive divided care.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Higher dissatisfaction when continuity expected but absent; leaves open whether modifying expectations improves satisfaction with divided care.
BACKGROUND: Up to now, no prospective cohort study using a validated questionnaire has assessed patients' expectation and perception of divided anesthesia care and its influence on patient satisfaction. OBJECTIVE: We assessed patient satisfaction with divided anesthesia care in a district general hospital in Switzerland. We hypothesized that patient expectations, combined with their perceptions of the (un)importance of continuous anesthesia care would influence patient satisfaction. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 484 eligible in-patients receiving anesthesia from October 2019 to February 2020 were included and received preoperative information about divided care via a brochure and face-to-face. The primary outcome was the assessment of patient satisfaction with divided anesthesia care using a validated questionnaire. In group 1 continuity of care was considered important but not performed. In group 2 continuity was ensured. In group 3 continuity was regarded as not important and was not performed. In group 4 patients could not remember or did not answer. A psychometrically developed validated questionnaire was sent to patients at home after discharge. RESULTS: A total of 484 completed questionnaires (response rate 81%) were analyzed. In group 1 (n = 110) the mean total dissatisfaction score was 25% (95% confidence interval [CI] 21.8-28.1), in group 2 (n = 61) 6.8% (95% CI 4.8-8.7), in group 3 (n = 223) 12.1% (95% CI 10.7-13.4), and in group 4 (n = 90) 15% (95% CI 11-18); ANOVA: p < 0.001, η = 0.43. Of the patients 286 (59%) considered continuity of care by the same anesthetist relatively unimportant (34%) or not important at all (25%). The other 40% considered it important (22%) or very important (18%). CONCLUSION: Despite receiving comprehensive preoperative information about divided anesthesia care, 40% of patients still considered continuity of care by the same anesthetist important. We recommend further research evaluating whether and how patient expectations can be modified towards the common practice of divided care and patient satisfaction can be increased.
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Koster et al. (2022) conducted an observational in Elective inpatient surgery requiring anesthesia (n=484). Divided anesthesia care when continuity is considered important vs. Continuous anesthesia care was evaluated on Mean total dissatisfaction score (p=<0.001). Patients who considered continuity of anesthesia care important but received divided care had a higher mean dissatisfaction score compared to those who received continuous care.
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