The position of a written document in preoperative information for pediatric surgery: A randomized controlled trial on parental anxiety, knowledge, and satisfaction

doi:10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2017.04.009

Journal of Pediatric Surgery

Volume 53, Issue 3, March 2018, Pages 375-380

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2017.04.009 Get rights and content

Abstract

Introduction

Preoperative information is a legal and ethical obligation. Very little studies have evaluated the preoperative information method in pediatrics. Having a child operated on is stressful for the parents. Improving information is a way to lower their anxiety. Our study aims to measure the impact of a leaflet, which supports spoken information on parental anxiety, the comprehension–memorization of the information and their satisfaction.

Materials & methods

Prospective study including 178 patients of outpatient surgery, randomized in two groups: spoken information versus spoken information supported by a leaflet, which is then handed out to the parents. The messages were identical: physiopathology, risks without treatment, surgical technique and its possible complications, description of the hospitalization day, and postoperative care. Parental evaluation was made with self-questionnaires after the preoperative consultation, then on the day of surgery. At each moment we evaluated the level of anxiety, satisfaction of information quality and the comprehension–memorization of the data.

Results

Written information significantly improves the scores of comprehension–memorization, parental satisfaction and significantly decreases the level of anxiety.

Conclusion

Significant impact of the written document as communication support in pediatric surgery, validating the method and encouraging it to be generalized to other pediatric surgery acts.

Level of evidence

Level I.

Type of study

Prognosis study.

Section snippets

Materials and methods

A comparative prospective monocentric study was established from January to December 2016. It received an approval from the Ethics Committee in Human Research and was recorded with the national Commission of IT and Liberty under the number 2016-028. Three pediatric surgeons included 178 children for regulated ambulatory surgery, randomized into two groups. The first received “conventional” spoken information only (group 1), and the second received spoken information supported by a leaflet

Epidemiology

178 parents were included in the study, randomized into two groups (Fig. 1).

164 parents were finally selected for analysis, 84 in group 1 (“conventional” spoken information) and 80 in group 2 (spoken information supported by the leaflet).

The epidemiological characteristics were comparable in both groups (Table 1). Mothers mostly represented the parents (78.7%), with an average educational level of 0 to 3 years of higher education (i.e., after the secondary cycle) (Fig. 2).

Evaluation that the parents received and integrated the information

At the end of the

Discussion

The information given during the consultation is a major issue for the overall management of the patient. The data must be understood and integrated by the patient despite an anxiogenic context, which does not make things easier. On a relational and juridical level, improvement of this information is essential. This study aims to evaluate the benefits of a written document, used to support preoperative communication in pediatric surgery, on the understanding of information by parents, as well

Conclusion

This study confirms the interest of the written document in the preoperative consultation for pediatric surgery. When the leaflet is used to support spoken information, it improves the quality of the information integrated by parents and their satisfaction, and decreases the anxiety associated with surgical management. It allows for validation of this method of information, underlining the interest of a new approach in terms of communication and encourages its generalization to other types of

Conflicts of interest

The authors do not declare any conflict of interest.

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To evaluate the effect of preoperative information based on written documents on anxiety levels and the family-centered care of parents of pediatric patients who had ambulatory surgery.
It is a randomized controlled study. Parents were randomly divided into two groups as intervention (n = 30) and control (n = 30). Parents in the intervention group were given written document and verbal information the day before the surgery. A brochure was prepared in accordance with the verbal information describing the perioperative process as a written document. The control group was given only verbal information. Parental State Anxiety Inventory (SAI) and Family Centered Care Assessment Scale (FCCAS) were assessed before and within 1–2 h after surgery, with verbal information based on written documentation. Data were evaluated with Student's t-test for dependent and independent groups and mixed design ANOVA test for time×group interaction. Partial eta square (η2) was calculated for the effect size.
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Providing written document-based information to parents before surgery may be beneficial in reducing SAI and increasing FCCAS.
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Phases I and II included 67 and 66 families, respectively. Patient demographics and disease severity were similar between both groups. Of the 53 parents (80.3%) in Phase II who answered the postoperative questionnaire, most recommended the booklet (96.2%), as it decreased their stress (78.0%) and enhanced their understanding of appendicitis (94.1%). However, the two groups showed similar preoperative anxiety levels and postoperative productivity loss.
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We sought to determine if probability of successful ureteral access (SUA) during initial attempted ureteroscopy (IAU) is higher in pediatric patients with CP vs. without CP.
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Prospective Randomized TrialThe position of a written document in preoperative information for pediatric surgery: A randomized controlled trial on parental anxiety, knowledge, and satisfaction

Abstract

Introduction

Materials & methods

Results

Conclusion

Level of evidence

Type of study

Section snippets

Materials and methods

Epidemiology

Evaluation that the parents received and integrated the information

Discussion

Conclusion

Conflicts of interest

J Pediatr Nurs

AORN J

J Pediatr Surg

Chir Main

Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol

J Perianesth Nurs

Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol

Ann Fr Anesth Reanim

Ann Méd-Psychol Rev Psychiatr

Patients' memory for medical information

J R Soc Med

Management of perioperative stress in children and parents. Part I—the preoperative period

Anaesthesiol Intensive Ther

The psychological responses of children to hospitalization and illness

Kango Kenkyu

Emotional distress of mothers of hospitalized children

J Pediatr Psychol

Prospective Randomized Trial
The position of a written document in preoperative information for pediatric surgery: A randomized controlled trial on parental anxiety, knowledge, and satisfaction