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Systematic Review: Audiovisual Interventions for Reducing Preoperative Anxiety in Children Undergoing Elective
Cheryl H T Chow1, Ryan J Van Lieshout2, Louis A Schmidt3
1MiNDS Neuroscience Graduate Program, chowcht@mcmaster.ca.
Insights
Audiovisual (AV) interventions effectively reduce preoperative anxiety in children undergoing surgery. Videos and interactive games show the most promise for improving patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Medical Interventions
- Anxiety Management
Background:
- Preoperative anxiety is a common concern in children undergoing elective surgery.
- Effective interventions are needed to mitigate anxiety and improve surgical outcomes.
- Audiovisual (AV) interventions offer a potential non-pharmacological approach.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the effectiveness of AV interventions in reducing preoperative anxiety in pediatric patients.
- To assess the impact of AV interventions on secondary outcomes such as postoperative pain and recovery.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of randomized controlled trials and nonrandomized studies.
- Primary outcome: children's preoperative anxiety.
- Secondary outcomes: postoperative pain, behavioral changes, recovery, induction compliance, satisfaction, and cost-effectiveness.
Main Results:
- 18 studies were included in the review.
- Meta-analysis and narrative synthesis were used to summarize findings.
- Videos, multi-faceted programs, and interactive games were most effective.
Conclusions:
- AV interventions show promise in reducing preoperative anxiety in children.
- Specific AV formats like videos and games are more effective than music or internet programs.
- Further high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm efficacy and identify optimal components.
Objective:
To examine the effectiveness of Audiovisual (AV) interventions at reducing preoperative anxiety and its associated outcomes in children undergoing elective surgery.
Methods:
A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and nonrandomized studies where the primary outcome was children's preoperative anxiety was conducted. Secondary outcomes included postoperative pain, behavioral changes, recovery, induction compliance, satisfaction, and cost-effectiveness. The risk of bias of each study was assessed.
Results:
In all, 18 studies were identified. A meta-analytic approach and narrative synthesis of findings were used to summarize the results of the studies.
Conclusions:
This systematic review suggests that AV interventions can be effective in reducing children's preoperative anxiety. Videos, multi-faceted programs, and interactive games appear to be most effective, whereas music therapy and Internet programs are less effective. While AV interventions appear potentially useful, adequately powered RCTs are required to conclusively pinpoint the components and mechanisms of the most effective AV interventions and guide practice.
