Patient Satisfaction With Anesthesia Care: What Do We Know?

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Patient Experience Research
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Patient satisfaction with anesthesia care (PSAC) impacts reimbursement, evaluations, and litigation.
• Understanding factors influencing PSAC is crucial for healthcare providers.
• Previous research has identified various elements affecting patient perceptions of anesthesia services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conceptualize patient satisfaction with anesthesia care (PSAC).
• To identify and describe factors affecting PSAC.
• To develop provider recommendations for enhancing PSAC.

Main Methods:

• Systematic search for evidence reviews, survey reports, qualitative studies, and consumer satisfaction reports within the last 20 years.
• Exclusion of pediatric and obstetric articles.
• Synthesis of findings from 27 quantitative, 7 qualitative, and 9 consumer satisfaction articles.

Main Results:

• High levels of PSAC are generally reported across various assessment methods.
• Anticipatory anxiety, influenced by prior experiences, significantly impacts patient expectations.
• Key modifiable dissatisfiers include anxiety, inadequate information, postoperative discomfort (pain, nausea/vomiting), long wait times, and anesthesia complications.

Conclusions:

• Anesthetists should provide clear preoperative information, manage patient discomfort, and foster emotional connections.
• The emotional component of patient satisfaction with anesthesia care is critical and should be measured.
• Future research should explore patient experiences with different anesthesia methods to improve coping strategies.