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Parental desire for perioperative information and informed consent: a two-phase study
Z N Kain1, S M Wang, L A Caramico
1Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510-8051, USA.
Anesthesia and Analgesia
|February 1, 1997
Summary
Parents want detailed information about their child's anesthesia and surgery. Providing comprehensive anesthetic risk details does not increase parental anxiety, contrary to what might be expected.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Pediatric Surgery
- Psychology
Background:
- Parental anxiety is a significant concern during pediatric surgical procedures.
- Understanding parental information needs is crucial for effective communication and care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the specific perioperative anesthetic information parents desire.
- To determine if detailed anesthetic risk information provision increases parental anxiety.
Main Methods:
- A two-phase study: a cross-sectional survey of 334 parents followed by a randomized controlled trial with 47 parents.
- Parents received either routine or detailed anesthetic risk information, with anxiety assessed at multiple time points.
Main Results:
- Over 95% of parents desired comprehensive perioperative information, including all potential complications.
- No significant differences in parental anxiety were observed between the detailed information group and the control group.
Conclusions:
- Parents of children undergoing surgery have a strong preference for detailed perioperative anesthetic information.
- Providing comprehensive anesthetic risk information does not appear to elevate parental anxiety levels.