The effect of videotaped preoperative information on parental anxiety during anesthesia induction for elective pediatric procedures

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine whether audiovisual information, describing the process of undergoing and recovering from anesthesia, could reduce anxiety levels in parents before their child's induction of anesthesia. Methods: One hundred and eleven parents were recruited into this study. Of these 56 were randomized to a control group and 55 to an intervention group. All parents completed the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS) questionnaires on admission to hospital on the day of surgery and then again just before accompanying their child to the anesthetic room. In addition to the normal preoperative preparation, parents randomized into the study group watched a short 8-min information video after completing the first questionnaire. The video illustrated the events and procedures surrounding a child's admission to hospital for day-case surgery, including the induction of anesthesia. Results: The results were analyzed using repeated measures of ANOVA. There was a statistically significant reduction in anxiety and desire for information in the intervention group compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The reduction in anxiety in the intervention group indicates that preoperative information videos are an effective method of reducing anxiety in parents. Furthermore, the reduction in need for information score in the intervention group indicates that preoperative videos may be a useful tool for providing parents with information.