Patients' desire for information about anaesthesia: Danish attitudes

Patients' desire for information about anaesthesia has been examined in a number of Commonwealth countries but not in Scandinavia. A questionnaire was distributed to form a basis for giving Danish patients more appropriate preoperative information.

201 preoperative patients in Denmark were asked to complete a questionnaire. The patients were divided into subgroups according to: age, gender, residential origin, ASA group, educational level, type of anaesthesia planned and number of previous anaesthetics.

Patients from a city area required significantly more information than patients from a rural/urban area about premedication drugs, drips/catheters, pain/pain relief and complications. Men more than women preferred to know about dangerous complications. Information about pain/pain relief, duration of anaesthesia, and influence of anaesthesia on daily activities such as eating, drinking, mobilisation was given the highest priority, while unpleasant information such as about complications and needles was given the lowest priority. Meeting the anaesthetist and information about alternative methods of anaesthesia and premedication drugs were given only moderate priority. Ranking information in Denmark was significantly correlated with Scotland, Canada and Australia, despite profound differences in priority. More often than Danish patients, Australian patients felt they had right to know, and especially about complications.

Patients from a city area required more information than patients from a rural/urban area. Information about the influence on daily activities was preferred to unpleasant information. Ranking information in Denmark was correlated with a number of Commonwealth countries.