title: The effects of short interactive animation video information on preanesthetic anxiety, knowledge, and interview time: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We designed an interactive animated video that provides a basic explanation-including the risks, benefits, and alternatives-of anesthetic procedures. We hypothesized that this video would improve patient understanding of anesthesia, reduce anxiety, and shorten the interview time.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred eleven patients scheduled for cancer surgery under general anesthesia or combined general and epidural anesthesia, who were admitted at least 1 day before the surgery, were randomly assigned to the video group (n = 106) or the no-video group (n = 105). The patients in the video group were asked to watch a short interactive animation video in the ward. After watching the video, the patients were visited by an anesthesiologist who performed a preanesthetic interview and routine risk assessment. The patients in the no-video group were also visited by an anesthesiologist, but were not asked to watch the video. In both groups, the patients were asked to complete the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and a 14-point scale of knowledge test before the anesthesiologist's visit and on the day of surgery. We also measured interview time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no demographic difference between the 2 groups. The interview time was 34.4% shorter (video group, 12.2 ± 5.3 minutes, vs. no-video group, 18.6 ± 6.4 minutes; 95% confidence interval [CI] for the percentage reduction in time: 32.7%- 44.3%), and knowledge of anesthesia was 11.6% better in the video group (score 12.5 ± 1.4 vs. no-video group score 11.2 ± 1.7; 95% CI for the percentage increase in knowledge: 8.5%-13.9%). However, there was no difference in preanesthetic anxiety between the 2 groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our short interactive animation video helped patients' understanding of anesthesia and reduced anesthesiologists' interview time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8605 Japan. icg02177@nifty.com
authors.forename: Akihito
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kakinuma
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagatani
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Otake
authors.forename: Ju
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakata
mesh_terms: D000758:Anesthesia / Q000379:methods*; D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000379:methods*; D001007:Anxiety; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001296:Audiovisual Aids; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D014743:Videotape Recording