The pediatric sedation unit: a prospective analysis of parental satisfaction

As financial pressures drive health care to be more cost-effective and efficient, performing procedures outside the main operating room (MOR) is becoming more common. Pediatric sedation units (PSU) have proven both effective and safe at providing anesthesia for children. However, there is limited data available regarding the PSU and its potential application in pediatric otolaryngology.

To evaluate the experience of performing pediatric outpatient procedures in a PSU through a parental satisfaction survey.

Pediatric otolaryngology procedures performed in the PSU were prospectively recorded in a database. A prospective survey analysis was performed that measured parental satisfaction with scheduling/registration for surgery, nursing care, surgeon care, facility environment, timing/duration, and overall satisfaction. Parents completed this survey for outpatient procedures performed in either the PSU or in the MOR. The same attending surgeon was involved in all cases, with the only independent variable being the location of the surgery. Fifty surveys were collected for each group, and the surveys scores were statistically compared using nonparametric statistical analysis.

Parental satisfaction was high in both the PSU and OR, with mean overall satisfaction scores of 4.8 and 4.9 (respectively) on an ordinal scale from 1 to 5. Parents reported greater clarity in preoperative information in the MOR (mean 4.8) compared to the PSU (mean 4.6) (p<0.006). Also, parents reported that MOR procedures started on time more often than those in the PSU (90-64%, p<0.002). There were no significant differences between locations in any other survey metrics, with mean satisfaction scores ranging from 4.5 to 5.0.

The PSU is a satisfactory patient experience for outpatient procedures in pediatric otolaryngology at our institution. However, this parent survey has identified education prior to surgery and timeliness of surgery as two areas to improve to meet the satisfaction standard provided by the OR.