drawMD APP-aided preoperative anesthesia education reduce parents anxiety and improve satisfaction.

OBJECTIVE: There is no existing standard format for preoperative anesthesia education. The drawMD APP is an visible preoperative education tool. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of drawMD APP on pre-operative anesthesia education.

METHODS: The parents were randomized to receive drawMD APP-aided pre-operative anesthesia education or standard verbal education. Parental anxiety was measured before education (T0) and immediately after education (T1), and after operation (T4). Children's anxiety was assessed before education (T0) and at the operation room (T2). Children's emergence behavior and Parents' satisfaction were assessed after operation (T4).

RESULTS: The parents' anxiety levels at T1 and T4 were significantly lower than that of the control. The satisfaction scores in the drawMD group were significantly higher than that in the control group. There were no differences in children's anxiety and the incidence of emergence delirium between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS: The drawMD APP-aided pre-operative education is effective in the reduction of parental pre-operative anxiety and in improvement of parents' satisfaction, but has no influence on children.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Anesthesiologists can consider using drawMD APP to conduct pre-operative education in parents whose children are scheduled for surgery.