Patient Expectations for Anesthesiologists
Patients are not uniformly educated on the function of anesthesiologists and do not share a common understanding of their role.1 A recent Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center study of patients that were undergoing anesthesia found that a patient’s understanding of an anesthesiologist’s role is incomplete. Of the patient’s surveyed, a majority (88%) of them understood anesthesiologists to be “responsible for relieving pain during surgery.” However, only half (57%) of the participants “believed that [anesthesiologists] do so after surgery.” Most participants (71%) were aware that an anesthesiologist helps “with controlling nausea after surgery.” Only 73% of participants understood that “a physician was responsible for their anesthesia care.” Patients were also less familiar with their anesthesiologist than they were of their surgeon.2 This lack of information and familiarity creates expectations inconsistent with what the patient may experience.
Patients in the study had high expectations for and a fairly clear understanding of their anesthesia provider. Almost all of the patients (98%) “knew that the anesthesia provider would be available throughout their surgery” and a similar majority (94%) “believed that the anesthesia provider would be monitoring their vital signs throughout the surgery.” They emphasized “the importance of their interaction with the anesthesiologist and the anesthesiologist’s ability to clarify their questions about aspects of their anesthesia care.”2
It is the anesthesiologist’s role to create an understanding of anesthesia care that gives the patient realistic expectations when it comes to preoperative and postoperative care. This may include elaborating on the role an anesthesiologist plays in the prevention of pain during surgery. An anesthesiologist may also need to educate a patient on the types of anesthesia that their care will require, whether it be sedation, general anesthesia, regional anesthesia, or local anesthesia.
Patients should also be aware that anesthesiologists are involved in postoperative care. During this period, an anesthesiologist works to manage pain and nausea. Patients in the study reported a poor sense of well-being during the post-anesthesia period, which was possibly due to it being greater than expected.2 An anesthesiologist should educate their patients on the after effects of anesthesia to better prepare them for the postoperative experience. However, medication or the patient’s condition may complicate communication, making it difficult during the postoperative period.3
Patients who have previously undergone anesthesia and those that have not may experience fear in relation to their anesthesia care.2 When asked what specific fears the patients had about anesthesia, patients in the study expressed concerns about nausea, pain, long-term complications, and death.2Patients should be given the opportunity to ask questions about different aspects of their anesthesia care.
Interaction is often limited to the periods of pre-anesthesia evaluation, periprocedural management, and post-anesthesia care.3 Communicating in a succinct, clear fashion will help utilize the limited time an anesthesiologist has with a patient. Anesthesiologists can also tailor these conversations to each patient, allowing them to better explain procedure, possible complications, and create a more specific level of understanding.3 Individuals that are more informed have realistic perceptions as well as expectations of their care. Meeting these expectations improves patient satisfaction.
Of the patent’s surveyed, those that felt their expectations were met also reported higher levels of satisfaction. In the study, almost all (98%) of the patients reported being satisfied or very satisfied with their anesthesia care. A high level of satisfaction results in a positive patient experience, which is “part of a successful anesthetic.”1
Sources:
1. https://catalyst.nejm.org/patient-feedback-anesthesiology-matters
2.https://www.ajmc.com/journals/issue/2019/2019-vol25-n10/patients-expectations-of-their-anesthesiologists 3. https://anesthesiology.pubs.asahq.org/article.aspx?articleid=1945547