title: Health literacy and anesthesia: patients' knowledge of anesthesiologist roles and information desired in the preoperative visit.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess patients' knowledge of the role of the anesthesiologist and to identify information patients desire during the preoperative visit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-administered structured survey evaluation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preoperative Evaluation Clinic at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
  
  
  METHODS
  502 adult surgical patients scheduled for elective surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey was designed and administered to patients in the preoperative clinic to assess their knowledge of the job descriptions and roles of anesthesiologists. The survey also included questions about information that patients desire before anesthesia and surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The survey was distributed to 502 patients, 500 of whom (99%) completed the survey. Seventy-four percent (346/466) of respondents were educated at or above the college level. The majority (377/460; 82%) of patients in this study had adequate or high health literacy levels. Four hundred sixteen of 486 (86%) respondents knew that an anesthesiologist was a doctor specializing in anesthesia. However, the roles of anesthesiologists throughout the hospital system were not well known. Ninety-six of 475 (20%) patients knew that anesthesiologists may work in pain management clinics, 80 of 470 (17%) patients knew that anesthesiologists may work in intensive care units, but only 59 of 472 (13%) patients knew that anesthesiologists may transfuse blood during surgery if needed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the high level of education and health literacy in this group of patients, many were uninformed about the roles of anesthesiologists. Patients expressed interest in receiving a broad range of information during the preoperative visit. An educational booklet was the preferred method to provide this information.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St., SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
authors.forename: Annery G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Garcia-Marcinkiewicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St., SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. Electronic address: long.timothy14@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: Timothy R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St., SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Danielson
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St., SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
authors.forename: Steven H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Rose
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000379:methods*; D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000379:methods*; D004522:Educational Status; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D057220:Health Literacy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods
keywords: Anesthesiology; Health literacy; Patient education; Physician scope of practice; Preoperative