A study of patients knowledge and awareness of patient factors influencing peri-operative risks and their perception of patient participation in enhancing their own perioperative safety.

With the growing involvement of anaesthesiologist in various areas of patient care, anaesthesiologist has become an important health care worker associated with patient management, patient safety and patient satisfaction. World Health Organization identifies surgical safety and medication safety as important Global Patient Safety Challenges - Anaesthesiologist is an intrinsic part of these areas. An informed and aware patient can help the clinician in providing better care. Patient engagement and active participation improves patient safety and reduces errors.  Some studies have been conducted about ‘awareness of anaesthesia specialty’ in patients. All have revealed the dismal state of awareness and knowledge about this critical branch in the patient population. Most studies are done in rural population and in peripheral locations of the country. Knowledge of patient’s information about anaesthesia, its risks and patient factors influencing these can help in providing better care to the patient. None of these surveys have studied the patient information specific to areas which would influence patient safety perioperatively. Preformed questionnaire with ten questions is prepared by the study investigators. The questions would be asked to the patient in his own language by a member of anaesthesia team (doctor). After interviewing the patient, the doctor will fill the questionnaire and submit the performa in the folder. The performas would be evaluated by the investigators who would be blind to the patient surveyed. Flexibility will be allowed to add relevant questions and record unanticipated patient responses during the course of study . We propose to study the patient awareness of ‘patient factors influencing perioperative risks’ and their perception about ‘patient participation in enhancing their own perioperative safety. Patient information of ‘patient factors involved in perioperative risk’ and patients perception about ‘their role in enhancing their own perioperative safety’ have never been investigated in our country.

As a part of the interview, patients would be educated about these areas. Based on its findings, patient education program will be planned to educate, empower and engage patients in enhancing their own perioperative safety. It will also help the patients and their families to have an insight in the potential perioperative complications and better acceptance of complications in adverse situations. This study will serve as a pilot project and based on its findings, multicenter survey and patient education program will be planned