Perioperative Family Updates Reduce Anxiety and Improve Satisfaction: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Medical Research
• Surgical Patient Care
• Healthcare Communication

Background:

• Family anxiety and satisfaction are crucial aspects of surgical patient care.
• Effective communication during perioperative events impacts patient and family experience.
• Current communication protocols may not adequately address family needs during surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of standardized, event-specific perioperative updates on family anxiety and satisfaction.
• To determine if surgical procedure length influences family satisfaction with updates.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial comparing standard communication (one update) with enhanced communication (three electronic updates at key perioperative events).
• Postoperative surveys assessed family member satisfaction and anxiety using a 0-5 Likert scale.
• Statistical analysis compared outcomes between intervention and control groups.

Main Results:

• The intervention group reported significantly lower anxiety levels (P=0.01) and higher satisfaction with updates (P=0.0001) compared to the control group.
• Overall satisfaction did not differ significantly between groups (P=0.69).
• Longer procedure times correlated positively with anxiety (P=0.0002) and negatively with overall satisfaction (P=0.01).

Conclusions:

• Standardized, event-driven perioperative updates effectively reduce family anxiety and enhance satisfaction with communication.
• Proactive and timely updates are preferred by families and improve their experience during surgical procedures.
• These findings support the integration of enhanced communication strategies in surgical care pathways.