Patient's experiences and satisfaction with preanesthesia services: A prospective audit

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Healthcare Quality Management
• Patient Experience Research

Background:

• Patient satisfaction is a key healthcare quality indicator, yet often neglected, particularly in the pre- and perioperative phases.
• Measuring patient satisfaction in the preanesthetic period presents unique challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To audit preanesthetic clinic services in a government hospital.
• To identify factors affecting patient satisfaction with preanesthetic care.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire-based audit involving 200 randomly selected patients.
• Data analysis using Microsoft Excel.

Main Results:

• High patient participation (95%) in the audit.
• Significant patient unawareness (60%) regarding the preanesthetic clinic's purpose.
• Delays in receiving fitness clearance (60% after 2-3 visits) and inadequate preanesthesia instructions were noted.
• Patient dissatisfaction with hospital amenities and identified hindrances including clinic location and inter-specialty coordination issues.

Conclusions:

• Improvements in preanesthesia clinic operations are essential.
• Enhancing patient satisfaction requires addressing identified systemic and logistical challenges.