Patient Satisfaction - Indicator Anesthesia Assessment

doi:10.15406/jaccoa.2017.09.00332

Journal of

eISSN: 2373-6437

Anesthesia & Critical Care: Open Access

Mini Review Volume 9 Issue 1

Patient Satisfaction - Indicator Anesthesia Assessment

Koriachkin VA,

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Zabolotskiy DV, Ivanov DO, Alexandrovich YS, Zhikharev VA

Vreden Russian Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University of Health Ministry of Russia, Russia

Correspondence: Victor A Koriachkin, Vreden Russian Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Saint-Peterburg, Russia

Received: October 31, 2017 | Published: November 6, 2017

Citation: Koriachkin VA, Zabolotskiy DV, Ivanov DO, Alexandrovich YS, Zhikharev VA (2017) Patient Satisfaction - Indicator Anesthesia Assessment. J Anesth Crit Care Open Access 9(1): 00332. DOI: 10.15406/jaccoa.2017.09.00332

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Abstract

Patient satisfaction is an important indicator of anesthesia evaluation. In near future anesthesiologists will be evaluate not only on the level of theoretical knowledge, manual skills and management of homeostasis during anesthesia and intensive care, but also attentive to the patient, the possibility of achieving psycho‒emotional contact, and a positive emotional state of the patient.

Keywords: Patient satisfaction, Anesthesia quality, Anesthesia assessment

Introduction

Traditionally, the evaluation of the results of anesthetic support includes changes in hemostatic parameters during surgery, the intensity of postoperative pain, postoperative nausea and vomiting, shakes, cognitive impairment, etc.¹ In addition, such criteria as the number of complications, the possibility of early rehabilitation, the impact on outcomes, including the likelihood of a lethal outcome.² Nevertheless, some authors believe that these indicators do not fully reflect the quality of anesthesia and are surrogate.³

At the end of the last century, the most important provisions for patients were identified, such as the availability of medical care, understandable and in an accessible way informing the patient and his loved ones, respect for the patient's values, his preferences and needs, reducing fear and anxiety in the perioperative period, physical comfort, qualitative analgesia, constant care with the attraction of a relative and close friends.⁴

The aim of this review is to examine the patient's satisfaction as a criterion of the quality of anesthesia.

Material and methods

The publications included in the databases MEDLINE, PUBMED, COCHRANE, materials of such organizations as the American Society of Anesthesiologists, American Society of Regional Anesthesia, European Society of Anaesthesiology, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, National Guideline satisfaction of patient Clearinghouse.

Results and discussion

In recent years, a fundamentally new aspect has begun to be discussed ‒ the patient's view of the medical care provided, taking into considering his views on both the upcoming therapy methods and their results.⁵ In regarding these circumstances, arose the term "patient satisfaction". The patient satisfaction after anesthesia ‒ the result, the ratio of expectations and what the patient actually experienced is a very difficult task, because it depends on cultural, socio‒demographic, emotional, etc. factors.

At present, the assessment of satisfaction is mainly carried based on of the sociological approach, which consists in examining the patients' opinion about medical care by interview. Most questionnaires include such issues as the quality of information provided to the patient, assessment of contact with staff, psycho‒emotional state (anxiety, anxiety, fear, etc.), quality of care for the patient etc. Detailed information on methods for assessing satisfaction can be found in the article Barnett et al.⁶ High‒quality studies of patient satisfaction with anesthesia are rare.⁷

Very important is the empathic attitude of an anesthesiologist to a patient who wants to feel safe and needs psychological support.⁸ Provision in the preoperative period to the patient of exhaustive information about anesthesia, discussion with the patient of the choice of the method are the most important factors affecting the satisfaction with anesthesia. Moreover, it is shown that patients need more information in case of the proposed regional anesthesia, in comparison with general anesthesia.9 It is shown that most patients prefer a joint non‒paternalistic decision making concerning the choice of the method of anesthesia. Moreover, a conversation with several specialists increases the satisfaction of the patient, whereas one conversation with an anesthesiologist only, on the contrary, satisfaction reduces.¹⁰

Very important is the post‒operative communication of the anesthesiologist with the patient with the purpose of emotional support and, if necessary, correction of the therapy, which also contributes to the patient's satisfaction. Unfortunately, only about 60% of patients can correctly identify the doctor who conducted anesthesia.¹¹ The general level of patient satisfaction with anesthesia is high: from 10811 patients, 96.8% were fully satisfied, 2.3% were partially satisfied, only 0.9% were not satisfied.¹² Attention is drawn to the fact that the choice of anesthesia method ‒ regional or general anesthesia, had no significant effect on patient satisfaction. Interestingly, a correlation was found between patient satisfaction in hospital care and the risk of re‒hospitalization: the higher the overall satisfaction level at discharge, the lower the rate of re‒hospitalization.¹³Thus, patient satisfaction is a feedback tool and this concept can be used to assess the quality of hospital management.

Conclusion

Patient satisfaction is an important integral indicator of the evaluation of anesthesia. There is every reason to believe that in the future the work of anesthesiologists will be evaluated not only in terms of their theoretical training, practical skills and management of homeostasis indicators during anesthesia and intensive care, but also in a sensitive and considerate attitude to the patient, the possibility of reaching a psychoemotional contact creating some positive dynamics of the emotional state of the patient.