What do patients know about anesthesiologists? Results of a comparative survey in an U.S., Australian, and German university hospital

Abstract

Study objectives: To determine patients' knowledge of the role of the anesthesiologist in the hospital.

Design: Prospective survey instrument.

Setting: Three university hospitals (University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; St. George Hospital University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; and University Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany).

Patients: 900 patients (300 pts per center) undergoing elective surgery.

Measurements: Patients completed a standardized questionnaire before surgery and before speaking to an anesthesiologist.

Main results: Most patients knew that anesthesiologists were medical doctors (Charlottesville, 58%; Bochum, 83%; Sydney, 71%). The majority (> 75%) underestimated the amount of training required to become anesthesiologist. While patients recognized the role of anesthesiologists in keeping patients asleep and awakening them, many patients did not understand the anesthesiologists' role in treating intraoperative medical problems. Patients had diverse concerns including infection, awakening during surgery, and failure to awaken, although patients were unclear about who was responsible for treating these issues. Outside the operating room (OR), 71% of patients rated Intensive Care Unit treatment as a duty of the anesthesiologist in Bochum, but fewer (P < 0.05) did so from Charlottesville (42%) and Sydney (49%). Understanding of duties outside the OR (resuscitation, teaching medical students, or chronic pain treatment) was very low (< 50%) in all centers.

Conclusion: Patients underestimated the training and role of the anesthesiologist in the OR and hospital.