Parental satisfaction with pediatric day case surgery

ABSTRACT

Children make excellent candidates for day case surgery. Satisfaction is an important measure of the outcome. The aim of this study was to establish the degree of parental satisfaction with day-case surgery for their children. Parents of one hundred children were questioned. They were asked to answer questions on their level of satisfaction in several areas; communication with doctors [surgeon and anesthesiologist], physical conditions, staff's care, patients' problems and 2 open ended questions. Parents were most satisfied with nursing care and most dissatisfied with physical conditions. Ninetyseven per-cent of parents stated that, if given a choice they would opt for day case surgery for their child again. There is a high rate of satisfaction with day case surgery, however, considerable effort is needed to prepare better physical conditions, better time schedule organizations, more anesthesia outpatient clinic consultations