Patient Satisfaction Survey on Perioperative Anesthesia Service in University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia, 2021

Does higher performance in a national licensing examination predict better quality of care? A longitudinal observational study of Ethiopian anesthetists

BACKGROUND

Ethiopia made a national licensing examination (NLE) for associate clinician anesthetists a requirement for entry into the practice workforce. However, there is limited empirical evidence on whether the NLE scores of associate clinicians predict the quality of health care they provide in low-income countries. This study aimed to assess the association between anesthetists' NLE scores and three selected quality of patient care indicators.

METHODS

A multicenter longitudinal observational study was conducted between January 8 and February 7, 2023, to collect quality of care (QoC) data on surgical patients attended by anesthetists (n = 56) who had taken the Ethiopian anesthetist NLE since 2019. The three QoC indicators were standards for safe anesthesia practice, critical incidents, and patient satisfaction. The medical records of 991 patients were reviewed to determine the standards for safe anesthesia practice and critical incidents. A total of 400 patients responded to the patient satisfaction survey. Multivariable regressions were employed to determine whether the anesthetist NLE score predicted QoC indicators.

RESULTS

The mean percentage of safe anesthesia practice standards met was 69.14%, and the mean satisfaction score was 85.22%. There were 1,120 critical incidents among 911 patients, with three out of five experiencing at least one. After controlling for patient, anesthetist, facility, and clinical care-related confounding variables, the NLE score predicted the occurrence of critical incidents. For every 1% point increase in the total NLE score, the odds of developing one or more critical incidents decreased by 18% (aOR = 0.82; 95% CI = 0.70 = 0.96; p = 0.016). No statistically significant associations existed between the other two QoC indicators and NLE scores.

CONCLUSION

The NLE score had an inverse relationship with the occurrence of critical incidents, supporting the validity of the examination in assessing graduates' ability to provide safe and effective care. The lack of an association with the other two QoC indicators requires further investigation. Our findings may help improve education quality and the impact of NLEs in Ethiopia and beyond.

Patient satisfaction with preoperative nursing care and its associated factors in surgical procedures, 2023: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

To enhance patient satisfaction, nurses engaged in preoperative care must possess a comprehensive understanding of the most up-to-date evidence. However, there is a notable dearth of relevant information regarding the current status of preoperative care satisfaction and its impact, despite a significant rise in the number of patients seeking surgical intervention with complex medical requirements.

OBJECTIVE

To assess patient satisfaction with preoperative nursing care and its associated factors in surgical procedures of, 2023.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted, and the data was collected from the randomly selected 468 patients who had undergone surgery during the study period. The collected data was entered into Epidata version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 25 software.

RESULTS

The complete participation and response of 468 participants resulted in a response rate of 100%. Overall patient satisfaction with preoperative nursing care was 79.5%. Sex (Adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.14 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.21-2.91)), payment status for treatment (AOR: 1.45 (95% CI: 0.66-2.97)), preoperative fear and anxiety (AOR: 1.01, 95% CI: 0.49-2.13)), patient expectations (AOR: 3.39, 95% CI: 2.17-7.11)), and preoperative education (AOR: 1.148, 95% CI: 0.54-2.86)) exhibited significant associations with patient satisfaction with preoperative nursing care.

CONCLUSION

It is important to exercise caution when interpreting the level of preoperative nursing care satisfaction in this study. The significance of preoperative nursing care satisfaction lies in its reflection of healthcare quality, as even minor deficiencies in preoperative care can potentially lead to life-threatening complications, including mortality. Therefore, prioritizing the improvement of healthcare quality is essential to enhance patient satisfaction.

Patient Satisfaction and Its Predictors With Perioperative Anesthesia Care at Two General Hospitals in Southwestern Saudi Arabia

Introduction  Patient satisfaction is one of the most crucial quality assessment and improvement indicators in anesthesia. Different factors reflect satisfaction such as postoperative pain, procedure duration, patient-physician relationship, inpatient services, and waiting time. A high level of satisfaction can lead to better outcomes in many ways, such as decreasing future surgeries fear and strengthening the healthcare system trust among the population. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the satisfaction level and its predictors with perioperative anesthesia care among patients subjected to different surgeries in two general hospitals in southwestern Saudi Arabia. Methodology  A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients admitted to different surgical specialties at two general hospitals in Al-Qunfudhah governorate in October 2022. Data were collected through interviews with postoperative patients and checking their medical data from the patient's medical reports. However, all surgical patients aged more than 18 consider as inclusion. In contrast, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, local anesthesia, refusal to participate, and cognitive and communication impairment are the exclusion. Perioperative patient satisfaction was assessed using the Leiden Perioperative Care Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (LPPSq). Results Eighty-three of 201 patients were included in the final analysis. The overall level of patient satisfaction concerning perioperative anesthetic care was calculated to be 73.5%. Hospital setting, admission type, BMI, and smoking were statistically associated with perioperative anesthesia patient satisfaction. Additionally, the most frequently reported unpleasant anesthetic side effect was shivering, followed by postoperative pain at a frequency of 42 (50.6%) and 37 (44.6%), respectively. Conclusion A moderate level of patient satisfaction concerning perioperative anesthetic care was detected. Smoking, BMI, admission type, and hospital setting were significantly associated predictors for patients' satisfaction. In order to present a complete picture, we recommend that future research concentrate on additional elements of patient satisfaction, particularly operating room turnover and standards for discharge. Additionally, we propose a routine evaluation before patients' discharge when patients are altering and oriented. Periodic evaluation and enhancement of patient satisfaction with perioperative anesthetic care should be employed and promoted.