Effective Communication in the Pre-Operative Environment

Introduction: Building a strong patient rapport is a founding principle instilled early on in medical education. For many specialties, this relationship can be developed through repeated encounters. However, anesthesiologists are limited in opportunity for which such rapport can be built. Therefore, it is critical that the pre-operative visit is used effectively to develop a strong patient-physician relationship and help relieve patient anxiety. Methods: The primary objective of this study was to determine what communication aspects are most important to patients in the pre-operative period. Secondary objectives were to evaluate the effectiveness of our current communication practices and their impact on patient’s anxiety. This study was an anonymous and voluntary survey conducted in the pre-operative area prior to elective surgical cases at Mayo Clinic Arizona from Dec. 2018-Jan. 2019. Patients completed a one-page questionnaire ranking the importance of various communication aspects and its subsequent impact on their anxiety level. Results: Of the communication qualities evaluated, patients most valued their physician’s thoroughness and ability to describe their anesthetic plan. Greater than 95% of patients felt “very satisfied” with their anesthesia provider encounter and on a 1 - 5 point scale, with 5 being the highest, there was an average reduction of 0.75 in anxiety level after completion of the anesthesia interview. Conclusion: Incorporation of and improving these communication aspects during your pre-operative evaluation can help improve rapport, reduce patient anxiety, and improve the patient’s overall experience. Implementing a communication-focused curriculum during training may prove beneficial in improving resident’s effectiveness in communicating.