title: Is a pre-anaesthetic information form really useful?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  All patients should be fully informed about the risks and benefits of anaesthetic procedures before giving a written consent. Moreover, the satisfaction level may vary in proportion to the information given. We aimed to determine, in a single-blind randomized-controlled study, whether an information form given before the pre-anaesthetic consultation could improve perceived information, information gain and satisfaction level.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred patients ASA 1-3 scheduled for an elective orthopaedic surgery were randomized into two groups: a group that received an information form before the pre-anaesthetic consultation (IF group) and a control group (no information form). A standardized questionnaire was submitted after the pre-anaesthetic consultation and after the operation. This 17-item questionnaire explored perceived information (five items), information gain (three items) and satisfaction level (nine items). The items of each topic were pooled and compared between groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and eighty-five patients (92.5%) completed the study. The IF group had better perceived information (IF group 73% vs. control group 63%, P=0.002), higher information gain (IF group 75% vs. control group 62%, P=0.001) and a higher satisfaction level (IF group 95% vs. control group 92%, P=0.048).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests that an information form given before the pre-anaesthetic consultation enhances perceived information, information gain and satisfaction level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Straessle
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gilliard
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Frascarolo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rossat
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Albrecht
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000758:Anesthesia; D000765:Anesthesia, Conduction; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires