Incorporating airway examination photography into the electronic record

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Medical Imaging
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Airway photography is used in research to validate preoperative airway assessment.
• Previous studies have not demonstrated the perceived utility of incorporating airway photographs into anesthesia preassessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the perceived value of incorporating routine airway photographs into the preanesthesia visit.
• To evaluate the impact of airway photography on anesthesia provider satisfaction and patient care planning.

Main Methods:

• Three standard airway photographs (Mallampati, prognathism, neck extension) were taken during preanesthesia visits.
• Anesthesia providers were surveyed on the perceived value of the photographic assessment.
• Chi-square tests were used to analyze survey responses for statistical significance (P < 0.05).

Main Results:

• 145 out of 180 anesthesia providers responded to the survey.
• Responses significantly indicated that photographs aided in patient care planning (P < 0.0001).
• The use of photographs improved provider satisfaction with the preoperative assessment process.

Conclusions:

• Airway photographs can be successfully integrated into electronic medical records in busy presurgical clinics.
• Photographs provide added perceived value beyond traditional written airway assessments.
• Iterative quality improvement methods addressed implementation barriers.