Patients' expectations of their anesthesiologists

OBJECTIVES: To determine the patient's perception of the role of an anesthesiologist and the patient's expectations of their anesthesiologist and their anesthesia care. STUDY DESIGN: Questionnaire survey. METHODS: A total of 170 patients attending the preanesthesia clinic answered a survey prior to their clinic interview and another survey the day after their surgery. The questions pertained to their perception of the role of the anesthesia provider, their expectations, and their level of satisfaction. RESULTS: A majority (>75%) of the participants had high expectations of their anesthesia provider. The satisfaction scores were higher among those who felt that their expectations were met and among those who felt that the anesthesiologist explained to them how they would feel after anesthesia. CONCLUSIONS: Because satisfaction is a fulfillment of one's expectations, understanding what the patient expects from their anesthesiologist is the initial step to improve satisfaction scores. The onus is on the anesthesiologist to educate the patient about their role, to set realistic expectations of the postoperative course, and to involve the patient in decisions regarding their anesthesia care.