The influence of preference for information on preoperative stress and coping in surgical outpatients

The purpose of this study was to examine how differences in preference for information may influence stress and coping in patients undergoing outpatient surgery. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 69 subjects undergoing outpatient surgery for the first time. Subjects who had a high preference for information were found to have significantly lower levels of preoperative stress than subjects who had low preference for information; however, preference for information did not have an influence on the percentage of problem-focused coping strategies used by these subjects.