[Question prompt list for premedication consultation : Patient-oriented information on anesthesia]

The anesthesia premedication consultation is an obligatory procedure prior to any upcoming surgery. It is the anesthesiologist's responsibility to collect all necessary information regarding the patient's medical condition to decide on the appropriate narcosis and to ensure that the patient comprehends the anesthesia procedure and its effects.

Information needs of patients regarding anesthesia are often not adequately fulfilled. This study was carried out to develop a structured questionnaire containing questions that patients may wish to ask the anesthesiologist (question prompt list anesthesiology QPL-A) to support information transfer from the anesthesiologist to the patient in the premedication consultation. The questionnaire should measure the information needs of the patient regarding different aspects of the anesthesia process with good psychometric qualities.

Based on a literature review and interviews with experts a list of anesthesia-related questions was developed and distributed to patients receiving premedication consultation at the University Medical Center in Mainz, Germany (n = 202). In addition, patients were also asked to complete the state trait operation anxiety inventory (STOA).

Using principal component analysis and subsequent varimax rotation (declaration of total variance 68 %), four reliable information needs scales were extrapolated: (1) anesthesia procedure and effects (QPL-A-E, α = 0.92), (2) anesthesia safety (QPL-A-S, α = 0.86), (3) advice concerning preanesthesia behavior (QPL-A-B, α = 0.85) and (4) anesthetists actions (QPL-A-A, α = 0.79). In order to obtain sufficient information regarding the QPL-A-S, the procedure itself and its effects (QPL-A-E) were found to be of greatest importance for the patients and behavioral changes (QPL-A-B), e. g. stopping smoking, were judged to be less important by the patients. Women scored higher on the QPL-A-E (U-test p ≤ 0.001) and QPL-A-A (U-test p ≤ 0.05) than men. Elderly patients (≥ 70) showed significantly more interest in safety information (QPL-A-S) than younger patients (≤ 39, U-test p ≤ 0.05). All scales showed a significant positive correlation with STOA trait anxiety (r = 0.29-0.50) but only the QPL-A-E and the QPL-A-S scales were associated with STOA state anxiety (QPL-A-E: affective r = 30, cognitive r = 0.36, both p ≤ 0.001; QPL-A-S: affective r = 19, p ≤ 0.05, cognitive r = 0.23, p ≤ 0.01). Self-assessed knowledge on narcosis correlated only weakly with the QPL-A-E (r = 0.21 p ≤ 0.01) but not with the other information areas. Information needs were not associated with the education level of the patient, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification and malignancy of the disease. Most of the participants (77 %) evaluated the QPL-A to be very or fairly helpful for the expression of their information needs.

The QPL-A is a useful tool for meeting the subjective information needs of patients which could improve the patient orientation of the anesthesia premedication consultation.