Preoperative evaluation: screening using a questionnaire.

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Medical Informatics
• Patient Assessment

Background:

• Preoperative evaluation is crucial for assessing patient clinical condition before elective surgery.
• Standard preanesthetic evaluations by anesthesiologists are essential.
• Comparing patient-reported data with physician assessments can optimize preoperative care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare preoperative evaluation (POE) via questionnaire responses with anesthesiologist preanesthetic evaluation.
• To determine the effectiveness of a health questionnaire in identifying patients suitable for surgery.
• To assess if the questionnaire captures information missed during face-to-face consultations.

Main Methods:

• Patients completed a questionnaire covering demographics, medical history, medications, and functional capacity.
• Anesthesiologists performed evaluations without access to questionnaire data.
• Questionnaire data were independently compared with anesthesiologist findings.

Main Results:

• The screening questionnaire alone was effective for 67.93% of patients, avoiding the need for consultation.
• Questionnaire data supplemented the clinical consultation in 51.4% of cases.
• Factors like age over 65, BMI > 30, and comorbidities were significantly associated with non-referral to surgery.

Conclusions:

• The questionnaire effectively screened patients requiring further evaluation or treatment adjustments before surgery.
• The health questionnaire provided valuable data not always obtained during clinical evaluations.
• This approach enhances the efficiency and comprehensiveness of preoperative patient assessment.