Comparative study of anxiety in informed and non-informed patients in the preoperative period
Author: Maward L, Azar N
Source:
Recherche en soins infirmiers, (78), 35.
Operation anxiety constitutes a significant phenomenon, detectable in numerous
sleep related and psychological symptoms, as in its impact on the patient's
health, the operation and post-operation process. For decades this problem
(almost unknown in Lebanese scientific research), was the object of a vast
theoretical project and numerous North American and European studies. Within the
framework of this investigation, we studied the influence of structured
information, provided by operating room nurses, on the patient's anxiety during
the preparatory stage. The problem is all the more significant and relevant given
that it is all but ignored in Lebanese hospitals. By adopting the basic
hypothesis that "structured preparatory information diminishes the patient's
anxiety" we wanted to examine the eventual links between the patient's anxiety
level and his/her personal, socio-cultural and psycho-medical characteristics
(sex, age, marital status, education, standard of living, medical history, type
of surgery, type of anesthesia, etc.). Using the same methodological approach, we
adopted Spielberger's steps in measuring anxiety after having acquired the proper
authorization from Professor Spielberger himself, who furnished us with the
certified Arabic version of these steps and their interpretation. A questionnaire
allowed the identification of test groups' characteristics. We chose our setting
the operating theatre at the Nini hospital in Tripoli, North Lebanon. Our
investigation essentially began in September/October 2003. We formulated a sample
of sixty patients within the operating community by means of a random sampling
technique and a well-defined exclusion criteriWith the same technique we
divided two groups of thirty patients: group A1 which was informed and A2 which
was uninformed and used as test subjects. The data gathered by the investigation
was incorporated into the SPSS software. The results of the comparative analysis
operating between the two groups' anxiety scores confirmed the afore-mentioned
hypothesis. However, these results did not establish any significant links
between anxiety levels and the majority of the test groups' characteristics. By
confirming the hypothesis that preparatory information reduces the patient's
anxiety, this investigation has opened the door to important practical
consequences leading to the following recommmendation: quality health-care in
Lebanese hospitals would greatly improve by adopting a protocol of information
booklets and preparatory meetings with the patient, with the added benefit of
valorizing the role of the operating room nurse. At present, the absence of any
structured preparatory information represents a significant deficiency in
Lebanese hospitals.