Authors: (including presenting author): :
Lee HL (1), Wong CM (1)
Affiliation: :
(1) Operating Theatre, The Duchess of Kent Children's Hospital at Sandy Bay
Keyword 1: :
pre-operative anxiety
Keyword 2: :
same-day admission
Keyword 3: :
joint replacement surgery
Keyword 4: :
nurse-led intervention
Introduction: :
Surgery often causes significant anxiety, negatively affecting intra-operative and post-operative outcomes, including increased anaesthetic needs and post-operative pain. With the increasing number of same-day admission patients, particularly those undergoing joint surgeries, there is a growing need to address their specific concerns and reduce pre-operative anxiety. A pilot project has been developed to introduce targeted interventions utilizing HA Go prescriptions, QR code linkage introducing the Duchess of Kent Children's Hospital Operating Theatre (DKCH OT) environment with surgical workflow to improve patients’ understanding of the surgical process and reduce anxiety levels.
Objectives: :
1. To develop and provide HA Go prescriptions for videos and pamphlets regarding patient journey workflow, anaesthesia-related information and family touch to same-day admission patients undergoing joint surgeries. 2. To provide a QR code linkage introducing DKCH OT environment with surgical workflow. 3. To reduce pre-operative anxiety levels for same-day admission patients undergoing joint surgeries.
Methodology: :
A pilot project was conducted from December 2024 to February 2025. Target participants were same-day admission joint surgery patients at DKCH (n=33), divided into intervention (n=17) and control (n=16) groups using convenience sampling. Both groups attended the Pre-Anaesthetic Assessment Clinic (PAC). The intervention group additionally attended a pre-operative nurse clinic to receive HA Go prescriptions and QR code-linked education. The Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS) served as the primary outcome measure, while the SERVQUAL questionnaire evaluated service satisfaction.
Result & Outcome: :
A total of 33 patients completed the project (mean age: 72.2 ± 8.2 years). The intervention group demonstrated significantly lower pre-operative anxiety levels, with a mean APAIS score of 10 ± 2.9, compared to 15.1 ± 7.4 in the control group (p < 0.016). Furthermore, the intervention group reported high satisfaction with the service quality (SERVQUAL score: 33.3 ± 2.6 out of 36). In conclusion, the pilot project demonstrates that a pre-operative nurse clinic combined with multimedia education via HA Go and QR codes significantly reduces anxiety in same-day admission joint surgery patients.
