Adolescent experiences of the safe surgical checklist and surgical care processes

To explore the perceptions, satisfaction, and needs of adolescent surgical patients with their perioperative pathway, including consent, the Safe Surgical Checklist (SSC), and post-operative care.

We used qualitative methodology to examine adolescent experiences with surgical consent, SSC, and post-operative care. We purposively recruited ten patients aged 13-17 undergoing emergency and elective surgery and obtained consent from parents and patients. Semi-structured interview scripts were co-developed with an adolescent patient advisor, and interviews were performed, recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was based on grounded theory and Participants were recruited and interviewed until thematic saturation was achieved.

Four themes emerged in thematic analysis: (1) Autonomy and Inclusion-Adolescents desire to participate in the consent process, including signing their own consent when appropriate, (2) Value of Repetition-Adolescents value the repetition of information in the pre-operative check and feel safer when the team reinforces the information, (3) Importance of Caregiver Involvement - Adolescents valued their caregivers being involved in critical conversations and decision making, and (4) Importance of Transparency in Communication-Adolescents desire to be directly given information about their surgery post-operatively and not told to parents alone.

Adolescents are situated uniquely between childhood and adulthood. Adolescents desired to be directly involved in the decision-making process of their surgery, including participation in the SSC and discussion of post-operative complications.