Video-assisted pre-anaesthetic patient education in regional anaesthesia: A prospective study on patient anxiety

Video-assisted pre-anaesthetic patient education in regional anaesthesia: A prospective study on patient anxiety - Background: Patients undergoing regional anaesthesia (RA) commonly suffer from anxiety in the perioperative period. Anxious patients are known to have increased requirements of anaesthetic medications and this has been proven to have deleterious physiological outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an educational video related to procedures in RA in reducing preoperative anxiety. Materials and Methods: The study included 84 patients scheduled for routine elective surgeries under regional anaesthesia. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: the Video (V) group, which received preoperative video-based education related to the procedure, and the Non-Video (NV) group, which received only a verbal description. Pre- and post-operative anxiety and information scores were assessed using the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS) for both groups. Results: Patients who watched the educational video preoperatively experienced a significant reduction in anxiety levels on the day of surgery compared to those who received only a verbal description of the procedure. The video group showed a higher percentage of patients reporting low anxiety (73.8%) on the day of surgery, while the non-video group had only 14.3% reporting low anxiety. Additionally, the video group demonstrated a reduced need for further information, highlighting the effectiveness of multimedia interventions in managing perioperative anxiety. Conclusion: Procedure-related educational videos effectively reduce perioperative anxiety. Integrating these interventions into anaesthetic practice can alleviate patient stress, enhance patient experience, and reduce miscommunication. Future research should explore their impact on anaesthesia management and recovery outcomes. Keywords: Educational videos, Perioperative anxiety, Regional anaesthesia, Patient experience, Recovery outcomes.