Waiting for a child to go into surgery is one of the most stressful moments a parent can face. While doctors provide information, the way that information is delivered matters. A study of 316 parents of children undergoing elective surgeries looked at how different types of information affected their stress levels.
One group of parents received only written and spoken information. Their anxiety scores rose significantly after the briefing. In contrast, the group that received audiovisual information—which included visual elements—had stable anxiety scores. These parents also reported much higher levels of optimism about the anesthesia and were more satisfied with the information they received.
While the study shows that multimedia can help parents feel more prepared and less anxious, it is important to note that the data only reflects the parents' feelings. The study did not measure the clinical outcomes for the children. These results suggest that adding videos or visual aids to nursing routines could help families feel more supported during the pre-surgery process.
