DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2016.v04i09.015

Pages: 3261-3265

This study was done to assess the patients’ knowledge and perception about anaesthesia and anesthesiologist role for the surgical procedures. The study was conducted at the dept. of anesthesia, SMBT medical college, Dhamangaon, dist. Nasik, over a period of 6 months. We had selected 200 patients randomly admitted for the elective surgery under different specialties and coming to the anaesthesia OPD for the pre-anaesthesia check-up. The study was conducted with the help of 15 questionnaires which were formulated to assess the patients’ knowledge, awareness and fears associated with the anaesthesia and anesthesiologist. All the data were collected, tabulated and analysis was done. The study was conducted on 211 patients, out of which 11 patients had selected wrong options or selected multiple options. Therefore only 200 patients were taken into consideration for the study. On questioning about the provider of anaesthesia, it was found that most of the patients (44.5 %) were having the knowledge that operating surgeons were the anaesthesia providers, while only 22% patients knows that anesthesiologist were the anaesthesia providers. On patients perception about the role of anesthesiologist in the operation theatre, it was found that 48 % patients think that anesthesiologist anesthetizes the patient and stays in the operation theatre, while only 19 % patients knows the exact role of anesthesiologist i. e. anesthetizes and takes care of the patients vital parameters. Most (43.5%) of the patients were having average knowledge about the anaesthesia and anesthesiologist. In conclusion, the patients’ perceptions of anaesthesia and anesthesiologists’ roles were average, but improvements in this relationship still need to be pursued, in order to achieve better outcomes. Anesthetic care was important in providing information, confidence and reassurance among patients, regarding their perceptions.