ASSOCIATION OF DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIOECONOMIC VARIABLES WITH PATIENTS' COMPREHENSION AND CONTENTMENT REGARDING...

Effective informed consent is fundamental to ethical anaesthesia care, ensuring patient autonomy and safety. However, there is limited evidence on how patients in multicultural settings perceive the anaesthesia informed consent process. This study investigates patient understanding, satisfaction, and factors associated with perceptions at Thumbay University Hospital in Ajman, United Arab Emirates.

A descriptive cross-sectional design was conducted among 350 adults undergoing elective surgery at Thumbay University Hospital, Ajman UAE. Two validated instruments which are the Anaesthesia Knowledge and Satisfaction Survey (AKSS), and Anaesthesia-Specific Informed Consent Questionnaire (ASICQ) were administered to patients undergoing surgery to measure the demographics, knowledge, and satisfaction. Data were analysed using SPSS v29 with descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and chi-square tests were conducted to examine the relationships among the study variables. Demographic and socioeconomic variables were further assessed to explore their association with patients' perceptions.

A total of 350 patients who provided informed consent were included in the study. High satisfaction and moderate understanding of anesthesia informed consent were observed. Anesthesia knowledge ratings were considerably improved with higher education (p<0.001). There was a positive association between anesthetic knowledge and satisfaction (r=0.38, p<0.001). After controlling demographics, education independently predicted anesthetic knowledge by correlation analyses.

Patients were satisfied yet showed incomplete comprehension of anaesthesia risks and rights. Culturally adapted consent models and clinician communication training are needed to enhance ethical, patient-centered care. The results have implications for informed consent practices in diverse healthcare settings.