Perioperative Information Needs of Parents of Patients With Special Health Care Needs: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: To assess existing knowledge of anesthesia and perioperative information needs/preferences in parents (parent, caregiver) of patients with special health care needs (SHCN) undergoing general anesthesia (GA) for dental procedures, and analyze the relations between caregiver anesthesia knowledge, health literacy level, and preoperative anxiety. Methods: Parents of patients with SHCN requiring GA for dental treatment completed an online survey with closed- and open-ended items assessing preferences and interest in perioperative information and educational resources, anesthesia knowledge, anxiety, and health literacy. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients and descriptive statistics were used to summarize the findings. Results: Fifty-two parents completed the survey. Over two-thirds of the sample identified as having "high information" perioperative requirements, 42.3 percent of respondents exhibited elevated levels of perioperative anxiety, and 67.4 percent had adequate health literacy levels that were positively associated with anesthesia knowledge. Ratings of importance and interest in learning more about GA for dental treatment were high. Facilitating increased caregiver involvement before, during, and after surgery was the highest- rated resource format. Conclusions: Parents of patients with special health care needs are generally interested in receiving more information and resources about general anesthesia for dental treatment. Identified gaps in anesthesia knowledge and preferences for content and format of resources can be used to inform the development of tailored educational resources for families regarding perioperative management to ensure that parents have a complete understanding of their patients' anesthetic management and surgical care.