title: A survey of anesthesiologists' role, trust in anesthesiologists, and knowledge and fears about anesthesia among predominantly Hispanic patients from an inner-city county preoperative anesthesia clinic.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the difference between the Hispanic and non-Hispanic public's knowledge about anesthesia, anesthesiologist's expertise, and role of the anesthesiologist in and out of the operating room (OR).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Los Angeles inner-city county hospital preoperative anesthesia clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Predominantly Hispanic population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 54-question survey in English and Spanish was distributed to adult patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Demographic data, knowledge of the anesthesiologist's roles/responsibilities, knowledge of anesthesia, trust in anesthesiologists, and fears related to anesthesia were collected. Descriptive analysis and multiple regression analysis of the data were used to report knowledge, trust, and fear, and the predictive role of patient characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  300 (88% of eligible pts) completed the survey. Patient demographics were as follows: Hispanics (73%), female (63%), mean age 47 ± 14 years, high school-educated or below (71%), previous surgery (67%), possessing a chronic medical condition (49%), self-reported health of fair to poor (58%). Seventy percent of patients recognized anesthesiologists as specially trained doctors. Mean ± SD trust scores in doctors were 2.6 ± 1.2 out of a maximum 4. Patients with a better perception of their self-health (P < 0.01) and with higher knowledge scores (P < 0.01) had significantly higher trust in the doctors. Women (P = 0.01) patients, those patients with chronic medical condition (P < 0.02), and patients with greater knowledge scores had greater fear or concerns about anesthesia. Mean ± SD knowledge score about anesthesia was 6.3 ± 2.8 (range 0-13). Patients who had surgery previously (P < 0.01) had higher knowledge scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most Hispanic patients believe that anesthesiologists are specialist doctors and that they put patients to sleep, but these patients are uncertain of their exact role or function during surgery or outside of the OR. High concerns or fears about devastating but rare complications of anesthesia remain. Educational efforts should be directed at this group especially, with the goal of alleviating preoperative anxiety.
authors.affiliation: Charles Drew University College of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA.
authors.forename: Dustin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nagrampa
authors.affiliation: Charles Drew University College of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA.
authors.forename: Shahrzad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bazargan-Hejazi
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. Electronic address: gneelakanta@mednet.ucla.edu.
authors.forename: Gundappa
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Neelakanta
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Charles Drew University/UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA.
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mojtahedzadeh
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Adrienne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Law
authors.affiliation: Keck School of Medicine at University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*; D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002140:California; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice / Q000208:ethnology*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010819:Physician's Role; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035502:Trust / Q000523:psychology; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Anesthesia knowledge; Anesthesiologists clinical role; Anesthesiologists function; Patient anxiety; Patient fear of anesthesia; Patient trust in anesthesiologists